Chained
by JayyVon699
Summary: With a child who struggles with speech, it is quite easy to keep his child quiet. Searching for the father of his child and keeping both him and his baby alive, wasn't going to be easy. At least the last part won't be. Daryl/OC
1. Chapter 0

Prologue

I stared the man dead in the eyes. The gun was pointed between my eyes as he shook. His face was covered in dirt and grime. He looked terrible.

He wouldn't listen to me. No matter what I said to him, it didn't matter. To him, I was just a lone wanderer, a slut who could be toyed with for his desire. He thought I was alone in this store. Oh was he wrong. My son was with me. My husband was with me. He had no idea either.

A small run for supplies for Alexandria turned from being harmless, to not so harmless. Damn. I hated when Daryl ended up being right. Now I owed Eren and Carl some chocolate from the pantry.

I watched as the man's lips moved, trying to get me to drop my weapon and get on the floor so he could have me satisfy his needs. He was disgusting.

He had long shaggy brown hair and green, crazed eyes. What confused me though, was the 'W' carved in his forehead. He must have had something to do with that walker I saw. It had a 'W' on its forehead too.

This man was going to pay. My son snuck up behind him as the man started to undo his belt with his right hand. I didn't even flinch when the shot went off and his blood splattered my face.

My son rushed over to me and was checking me over for an injury as my husband came into the shop doors right behind him. Yeah. When I had these two here, I didn't need to worry.

Nobody fucks with Avery Dixon.


	2. Chapter 1

**~IMPORTANT PLEASE READ! Hey there fellow readers. I'm Kass. I won't have many A/N's so this will be the longest. Ive had to change this story for xreader to OC just for this site. This a Walking Dead fanfiction** **about Daryl Dixon. I'm gonna warn you now. This story is rated R for a reason. There will be gore, language, and later on, some smut. This story has a hermaphrodite as the main character; a person with both male and female parts, even though he looks more male than female. I have warned you so no complaining. This story will follow the TV series, but there will be changes. I am not going to re-watch every episode just to get the dialog accurate. Screw that. It will be similar. This is my way, my version. It will go the way I want it to. I do not own** **TWD. There. I said it and I'm not gonna say it again. Have fun reading and please leave reviews XP~**

**Chapter 1- Arrival**

A young man glared at nothing in particular as he scrubbed at his clothes in the river. He was covered in filth. Dirt, blood, and sweat coated his pale skin. The only clothing on his body were his black underwear. He was small, about 5'5 and weighing at least 115 pounds due to lack of food. Tattoos covering parts of his body here and there.

As he bent over to lay his clothes out to dry, thick, fancy lettering was uncovered low on his back. 'D.D Forever' in black ink could be read easily.

He sighed and moved into the water and began to scrub himself clean. He ducked under the water and scrubbed furiously at his scalp to get rid of any evidence of blood and dirt in the raven strands. He broke the surface and stared down at his reflection on the water's surface.

He barely recognized himself anymore. The green eyes that were once shining and full of life were dull and tired looking. His lips were frowning, and all his hair was shaggy and getting long. Now it went just past his chin, parted so that it doesn't look like he has a part.

He had kept most of his piercings in. His ears had horseshoes going all the way up, his eyebrow was pierced, along with his nose and belly button. He had chosen to remove his lip studs, and he was also covered in tattoos.

He moved out of the water and sat by his 9mm silencer. In his hands, he played with a rather large looking hunting knife, a gift He got on his 23rd birthday. That was only two years ago. He got up and moved over to where his things were. He watched as a small boy stared back at him as he moved closer. He smiled and gently stroked his hair back, loving the way the soft, dirty blonde locks felt, before moving over to his backpack.

The forest was silent. Not a bird or cricket could be heard. He slipped on the slightly damp black jeans. He pulled his leather belt out of his pack and slip it into place around his hips.

He placed the hunting knife into a sheath and clipped it to his belt along with his handgun. He smiled and moved to the tank top that he also just washed and slid that on. He reached back into his bag and felt around until his fingers brushed over leather.

He pulled out a dark, sleeveless vest and ran his fingers over the angel wings on the back of it. He smiled sadly and put it on over the tank. There he was. Ever so tiny and looking like a teenage boy. He use to always get bullied for looking so pretty. He got called a girl more times than he could count, and they we're not far off. Hell, he was often mistaken for a girl, especially when he wore make up. Now a days though, it was a little more obvious that he was a boy, even if he had some things that are not considered to be a part of a boy. Surgery was just too damn expensive to get rid of those parts, so he kept them, they were all internal anyways. His partner didn't mind and that is all that mattered to him.

The man sat down on the ground and slid socks onto his feet, followed by black combat boots. He really loved the color black and steel blue. He softly whistled out a tune as he finished getting dressed before gathering the boy up into his arms and reminding him to be quiet.

He swung his backpack over his shoulders and smiled sadly again to himself. He gripped his stomach with one hand as it growled, making sure he had a firm grip on the boy's hand. He really needed food. He hasn't eaten in days. His baby needed to eat too. He gives most of the food he did find to the small boy.

They moved as quickly and as silent as possible through the forest, the older male watching they're back the whole time. It was just starting to get dark out. He needed to find a nice tree for them to sleep in. No way were they making it back to the jeep tonight.

They had to keep moving, and they were making great progress until he ran into some sort of wire. A loud rattling noise sounded, and he tripped and somehow got tangled up in the wire. He had managed to cover the boy and protect him from the fall. He clung onto him as he tried to free himself, making a lot of noise in the process. The wire had fucking cans attached to it!

A bright light suddenly hit his face and he flinched backward into the dirt more. He froze as hands turned him to face the light even more. "It's just a boy." A man's voice said as they tried to help get the wire off of him. He saw something reflect from the light hitting it and he froze in terror. It was a knife.

He began to struggle as the man tried to calm him down. "Hey, hey now. We aren't gonna hurt you. I'm just gonna cut you loose." He stopped struggling and nodded stiffly. Once he was free, he looked up at the men from the hard ground.

"Thank you." He mumbled out as he watched the man that helped him get free, and the man with the flashlight. The man that helped him smiled warmly and held his hand out to him. "Your very welcome. I'm Rick Grimes. Are you alone?"

"My names Avery. And sort of." He smiled up at him, but he just frowned a bit.

"Sort of?"

Avery nodded and moved his arms to look over the boy clinging to his chest. He seemed fine. His boy snuggled up to him as he hid his face from the strangers.

"This is my son. His name is Eren." He looked up at Rick. "Please Rick, can we stay? Or at least have some food? We will be gone right afterwards. We haven't eaten in days." He begged.

Rick's eyes softened and nodded. "You guys are welcome to stay. We wouldn't turn down a father and his son.

Avery smiled widely and thanked him. Rick motioned for Avery to follow him and the man with the flashlight. He led him to a large camp site. A woman named Lori, who he learned was Ricks wife, gave them some beans. Once again, he fed Eren before feeding himself.

He was introduced to almost everyone. He liked Rick and Glenn the most. Glenn was an Asian boy around his age who had found him along with Rick. Avery liked to call him flashlight boy. Glenn smiled at him as he threw a paper plate into the fire pit. Those beans were delicious.

"So, Avery. How old are you?" Glenn asked as he sat next to Avery. He chuckled and answered in a quiet voice. '25'

Everyone near the fire either had their mouths hanging open or were choking on dinner or their drinks.

Lori was the first to say anything. "Your only 25 and you already have a son that old?!" She asked in shock. "How old is he anyways?"

The young man chuckled and looked down at his son. He was sleeping again, snuggled up into his belly. "He just turned eight about three weeks before shit came down. We had him when I was seventeen."

Lori looked at Eren and frowned softly. "He's so small..." Everyone knew what she was thinking. They both looked too small. They were probably starving before tonight.

"Where's the mother? If you don't mind me asking." Rick asked.

Avery chewed on his bottom lip. That was the thing. He was the mother. Neither he, nor his husband and doctor understood how. Hermaphrodites are supposed to be infertile. It figures the one time he and his husband tried something new, he got knocked up. It wasn't supposed to be possible, but he had gotten pregnant and when the time came, had a c-section. He would probably die if he tried to give birth naturally, he was just too small for that, not to mention, pushing a baby out his ass just wouldn't work the same was it would if he had a vagina.

He looked down sadly at his son. "I don't know. We got separated."

Everyone grew quiet as Avery grieved. Glenn patted his shoulder. "Sorry man."

Avery shook his head and stood up. "I'm exhausted. Where can we sleep?" He asked.

Glenn gave the rest of his beans to one of the group members that he didn't get the name of and smiles at Avery. "You guys can share a tent with me, if that's okay." He told him. Avery nodded his head in thanks and followed him to his tent. He had Eren in his arms and his pack on his back.

Once inside the tent, Glenn helped Avery set up. They made a bed out of a sleeping bag and two blankets that Dale brought to them. His bed was placed near Glenn's for safety reasons. He set Eren down next to him and wrapped him up in the blankets.

Avery stripped off his pants and laid down in his bed next to his son. Glenn did the same and curled up against his blanket. As soon as Avery's head hit the pillow, he was out cold.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Shane

_**Warning: Harsh words to homosexuals are used. You probably should not be reading this if you do. It is a gay love story. **_

Avery sat by the fire pit the next morning and watched as Eren drank from a cup filled with water. Rick and Glenn went to go get his jeep, saying it was best if they did it and he stayed in camp for his child's sake.

Someone cleared their throat and Avery looked up into muddy brown eyes. This man, if he remembered correctly, was Shane. His eyes were dark and filled with anger. Avery had made a mental note to stay away from him. His brown orbs screamed 'Trouble'.

He looked down at Avery's son before looking back at him. Avery stared down at his ring finger and stared at the silver band as Shane spoke. "What's with that? You married or something?"

Avery scuffed. "Or something." He stated simply and Shane huffed then snorted.

"Who would say yes to the likes of you? Look at you. Your all skinny and covered in tatts. No woman would marry a man who is too weak to protect her. I bet that's why she ain't here. You couldn't protect her." He spit out and glared at the smaller man.

"It doesn't take looks and muscle to make a real man." Avery answered with a smug smirk on his lips as he met Shane's eyes. Oh, if Shane found out he could also biologically be a girl if he truly wanted to, he would have a field day. But Avery wanted to be seen as a male, like he and his husband viewed himself as. It's not like anyone could actually tell he was a hermaphrodite. All of his girly parts were on the inside. He just had more girlish features, than manly features. Quite a few men look more feminine than manly now-a-days.

Shane growled. "A real man wouldn't let the mother of their child be out there all alone. You couldn't protect her."

Avery stared up at him blankly. The people around the fire pit was once again silent. Amy finally spoke up.

"Shane!" She hissed. Avery just held up a hand to her and looked at Shane with a blank stare.

"Maybe the reason I couldn't protect her, is because _he_ can look after _himself_."

Amy let out a squeal and Lori smiled at the young man's comment. Avery handed Eren over to Amy quietly and looked back up at Shane's shocked expression that quickly changed to disgust.

"Well fuck. We don't just have a weak emo kid. We have a faggot with a bastard child who probably isn't even his."

Once those word were out of Shane's mouth, he was sent flat on his ass rubbing his jaw. He looked up at Avery in astonishment. "Say whatever the hell you want about me. But if you call my son a bastard child ever again, I'll rip out your heart and feed it to the walkers! Now stop swearing in front of my son!" Avery growled, his eyes blazing.

Shane stood up quickly and reared his fist back to punch Avery in return. Just then Rick and Glenn pulled up in Avery's jeep and Rick shouted at Shane.

"Enough Shane!"

Shane growled and stomped off towards the quarry. Tears stung in Avery's eyes as he shook his fist in pain. Amy walked up to him along with Rick, Glenn and Lori. Amy gently took his hand in her smaller ones.

"Looks like you broke it." Amy mumbled with a chuckle. "You sure showed Shane."

"Papa?" Eren asked quietly as he tugged on his parent's sleeve. He was a fairly quiet child for his age and rarely misbehaved.

"I'm alright baby."

Amy and Glenn helped clean and wrap up Avery's hand as Lori told Rick what happened. He shook his head in disappointment and stared off where his best friend had disappeared to. "I'll go talk to him." He told Lori and then turned to Avery. "I'm sorry, Avery, Eren." Then he took off after Shane.

Three hours later it was about ten in the morning. Avery and Eren had played with Carl and Sophia for the last two hours, and Carl really enjoyed their company. Avery had quickly became best friends with Carl. He had a thing with kids. They were playing tag when he lost sight of the three. Suddenly screams from the children could be heard as everyone rushed toward their shouts of fear.

When Avery got there, he saw a walker gnawing on the body of a deer that had arrows sticking out of its hip. He pushed the kids behind him and unsheathed his knife. He was about to take it down when Rick, T-Dog, and Shane started beating on it without any luck. (M/n) sweat dropped at them and slowly shook his head. Dale sliced off its head and started scolding at the men about destroying the head to kill the walkers.

The brush off to the side rustled as Avery was checking on Eren who was with Amy, Lori and Carl, at the back of the group. He didn't pay any attention as he fussed over Amy and Eren asking if either were hurt. Avery really cared about Amy and his child.

"Ave?" A deep, thick accented voice asked from where the rest of the group was. Avery's body froze in the middle of the sentence he was saying as the group went silent. They seemed to do that a lot around him. The group moved out of the way as he slowly turned around.

Avery's eyes filled with tears as he threw himself at the man who had spoken to him. The man dropped his hunting weapon and fell to his knees. Avery went down with him and sobbed into his dirty, sweaty shirt. "I thought I'd never see you again." He whispered into Avery's soft hair and buried his face into his neck.

The moment was ruined when Shane bursts out laughing. "No fucking way! Who would have known that Daryl Dixon is a gay faggot!"


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Conflict

Daryl's head snapped up to glare at Shane, who had a smug smirk covering his face. Avery's body had stiffened, and Daryl didn't miss it. His eyes moved over to look into Avery's emerald ones. He looked incredibly angry.

Daryl helped Avery up and turned to Shane. "So what? Didn't think I could?"

Shane snorted. "I never pictured you to be gay. And with a boy that looks like that?!"

Avery's mouth dropped open in shock. "What the hell does that mean?!" Shane got into the smaller male's face and snarled at him.

"Your weak, skinny as hell, and most likely doesn't know how to shoot a gun."

Avery stood his ground as he met Shane's blazing eyes. Avery really hated him. Shane was too angry and verbally violent all the time. Avery really didn't like his attitude either. "Is Eren yours or Daryl's? Can you even keep him safe?" He flung his arm out to Avery and caught the small man by the throat with his hand, squeezing as he did.

Quicker than anyone has ever seen somebody move, Avery brought his leg up and kneed Shane in the stomach. He let go of Avery's throat and heaved out a lung full of air before moving to attack. He froze when he was met with the sound of a guns safety being turned off and a gun muzzle being pressed to his forehead.

Avery smirked. "Wanna test that gun theory?" He asked then he kicked Shane again before lowering the gun and tucking it back safely into hid belt. "Fuck off."

Daryl stormed forwards only to be held back by Rick. "You'd best let me go." He growled out.

Rick looked over at Avery before he slowly let Daryl go. Daryl rushed forward and tugged his husband behind him. Shane stood up and stormed off again.

"Wait... Eren? He's here?" Daryl asked his husband as he turned around. Avery nodded and Amy stepped forward with the little bundle of joy in her arms.

Daryl slowly approached the two in shock. He reached for his son just as Eren saw him. He reached for his father, tears filling his eyes. Daryl lifted him up and cradled his boy up in his arms. A small smile tugged at Avery's lips as he watched Eren reach up and grip onto his father's shirt for dear life. "dad!Dad!" Eren has always had problems speaking. He had problems pronouncing words, but he got his point across and they loved him, speech impediment or not. That's why he barely spoke and was so quiet.

Daryl stiffened up when he noticed that the whole group was watching him. He cleared his throat and re-positioned Eren so he was gripping onto Daryl's pant leg. He moved back to Avery, who grabbed Eren's hand.

Daryl grabbed Avery's other hand and began to lead them back to camp. "Merle! Got us some squirrels! And guess who's here?" Avery's mouth hung open. _'Merle is here?'_ Avery's brain questioned. He hadn't seen or heard of him being here.

"Hey Daryl! Wait up!" Rick called after them. "There was a problem in Atlanta."

Daryl stopped and turned back towards Rick. "He dead?" He asked. Avery turned too. _'What happened to Merle?'_

Rick didn't even hesitate to answer. "We don't know."

Anger rolled off Daryl like lava. "You don't know? You don't know?! Either he is or he ain't!"

T-Dog came closer to the three as Rick spoke up again. "He was a danger to us all. He attacked me and I cuffed him to a pipe on the roof."

"And you didn't think to use a key to release him?" Daryl asked with pain laced in his voice.

T-Dog stepped forward and spoke up. "I had the key, but I dropped it down a drain. It's my fault."

Daryl let out a snarl, handed Eren to his husband, and stomped away. Avery stared after him.

Rick followed behind the angry redneck, and the group followed after Rick. Rick stopped Daryl by the RV and started talking again. Avery jogged over to them and stood slightly behind Daryl.

"I'm going back into the city. We can help you get Merle. I dropped a bag or guns in the street too. We'll need those also." Avery caught the end of the conversation between them.

Shane stormed over. "We can't risk people to go look for Dixon's douche bag of a brother!"

"Hey! You best choose your words wisely." Daryl warned.

Shane paused like he was contemplating. "No, I did. Douche bag's what I meant."

After a while, Daryl, Rick, Glenn and T-Dog were ready to leave for Atlantis. Eren was in the RV laying down having his nap. Avery was talking to Daryl over by the deli truck they were gonna take. "Please come back safely." He says as Daryl tugged him close.

His arms wrapped around Daryl's neck as pecked his lips. Daryl smiled down at him "I ain't gonna leave you and Eren just after I just got ya back. I'll be back." He spoke quietly so only Avery could hear him. The younger male smiled brightly up at him.

"You an' Eren are meh everythin'." He whispered, his drawl thick.

Avery's eyes met Daryl's, emerald met steel blue, and smiled. "Me too."

Daryl let out a chuckle. "Love ya." He kissed Avery again before saying he would be back. Rick and the others got into the truck and waited patiently for Daryl.

He kissed his smaller husband once more and backed up. He jumped into the back of the truck and looked down at Avery. "Love ya." He told him again. Avery grinned. "I love you too."

Daryl shut the back door and off they went. Avery smiled sadly after them. _'He better bring Merle back safely.' _He thought.

Avery turned and walked back to the RV. He needed to be away from Shane and the others and closer to the boy who looked so much like Daryl. He was so glad that Daryl was here. He didn't know what he would do if he wouldn't have been able to find him.

* * *

**(MATURE YOU CAN SKIP)**

Avery loved everyone in the group. Well, everyone minus Shane that is.

The young male was about to walk into the RV when a hand clamped over his mouth and dragged him off behind the RV and towards the woods. Avery kicked and struggled to get free.

A few seconds later, he was thrown onto the forest floor. He looked up into the eyes of one pissed off Shane. "What the hell are you doing?!" he hissed.

Shane smirked and walked closer to his fallen form. "Teaching a boy how to behave. You and your redneck husband are getting on my nerves. You need to be punished." He pinned Avery to the ground.

"Lori ditched me for Rick. I'm a man." He licked the pinned males cheek. "I need to get off every once in a while. Even if you are a boy. It'll just be like fucking a chick in the ass. Nice and tight." Avery's eyes widened in fear.

"No! Get off me!"

Shane pinned his hands above his head with one hand and began to feel the younger man up. His lips crashed into Avery's, their teeth clanking together.

Afterwards, he was left on the ground, naked and curled in a ball. Shane stood above him buckling his belt. He knelt down and whispered in the poor male's ear. "Was I as big as Daryl? You did cum a few times. I was balls deep inside of you. Me stroking you cock as I pumped. You were so tight." He reached down and gripped Avery's length.

**(End of Mature Content)**

* * *

Avery woke with a start. It was just a dream. He let out a sigh. _'Why the hell did I to dream that? What the hell is wrong with my brain? God, I hope I never have that again. I hate Shane. I hate him so much.'_

He looked over to the table and saw his son with his arms around Amy's legs. The sun was high up in the sky._ 'Must be around noon.' _He stood up and a let out a smile as he walked over to Amy and his son.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Laundry

Avery stayed in his tent with Eren after he woke up from that nightmare. No one bothered them the whole time. He sat on his cot in only his tank top and underwear. It was really hot out.

"Avery?" Carols voice drifted through the tent door from outside.

Avery smiled as he slid on his jeans and vest real quick. He unzipped the tent and peeked outside. "Yeah?" Carol smiled kindly at the younger male.

"A couple of us girls are going to the quarry to wash some clothes that need cleaning with Ed. Wanna help us? Or you keep watch with Ed, which ever you want." Avery smiled softly at her and nodded.

He turned to Eren who looked up at his mother silently. "papa's going to go with Carol, okay sweety? How about I get Carl to play with you? Huh? Would you like that?" Eren chewed on his shirt sleeve and nodded at his mom slowly. Avery smiled at him and stood up. He stepped outside of the tent and noticed Carl and Lori looking his way.

"Lori! Carl!" He shouted to them and waved them over.

Lori and Carl walked up to him. Carl hugged him and Avery hugged him back. He looked over at Lori and smiled. "Can you and Carl watch Eren while I go with Carol to wash clothes?"

Lori smiled at him softly and nodded her head. "Can I?!" Carl asked excitedly.

Avery nodded and gestured to Merle and Daryl's tent. He had moved into it shortly after Daryl left, knowing they wouldn't care. "He's inside." Carl ran inside and Lori followed after him. She paused in the door way when Avery called her name. "Thank you." Lori nodded.

"Any time."

* * *

As Avery watched the girls wash the clothes, he set the ones that were done in hampers so they could hang them up later. He offered to help clean them, but they refused and told him that they didn't want to give Shane another excuse to make trouble.

"So, where did you learn to fight like that?" Amy asked him as Avery took a shirt from her and placed it in a basket. " You kicked Shane's ass pretty good back there."

Avery chucked. "Yeah I did. My mother told me that I should be like a lady. She always wanted a girl she could turn into the perfect lady and she... Well she got me. She tried to make me be like she wanted, so I took self-defense classes and picked fights a lot at school. I rebelled against her. I got tattoos, piercing, and even got together with Daryl when I was 16. I'm not even a girl." Avery chuckled again. _'She wanted me to have the fucking surgery to become a girl and get rid of my genitalia. Yeah, like that was ever going to happen.' Avery_ smiled to himself. "I learned the rest from him."

"Your mother sounds terrible. How old is Daryl? What was his age when you got together?" Carol asked in that soft voice of hers.

Avery smirked. "He's 27. Which would make him-"

"Nineteen when you guys got together... Wow. You guys are young parents. How did you meet?" Amy asked, her eyes wide.

"Behind a bar, getting my ass handed to me. Self-defense wasn't enough. Daryl stopped the guys from raping me." He visibly flinched. _'The bastards_ _had heard the rumor about me being a hermaphrodite and wanted to see if I would be as great of a lay as a female_.'

After a few more words and laughs they all went back to the laundry. He was starting to wonder why they were not asking about Eren's real mother, since they all believe that men can't give birth. He wasn't so sure they believed him. Avery smiling away as he drifted into a day-dream about the time he met Daryl.

"Aver...Avery?" His head shot up and looked at Jaquie.

"Wha?" He asked. The girls giggled and laughed at Avery's confused face.

"I asked what you missed most from before the Apocalypse. I miss my coffee maker." Jaquie told him.

Avery let out a chuckle.

Amy spoke up next. "My computer... Texting... Boys..." He laughed again with the rest of the girls.

Amy smiled up at Avery. "What do you miss about the world before the outbreak hit, Avery?"

The man paused as he was about to place another shirt in the hamper. He thought about it for a couple of minutes before he answered.

"What I miss most? I really miss the sex. Daryl and I would always cuddle afterwards. Whenever he could, he would have his hands on me."

They all let out laughs as Amy spoke up. "I wouldn't have thought Daryl was much of a cuddler. Is he good? At the sex I mean."

Avery smirked as he thought about the last time they made love. "Oh yeah. He likes to make sure I get off before he does."

Andrea spoke up next. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but, which one of you is the bottom?"

Avery blushed softly and gave a nervous chuckle. "Um, that would be me." The girls laughed at his embarrassment.

He smiled over at Andrea. "How about you? What do you miss?"

Andrea smirked. "I miss my vibrator." Jaquie and Avery laughed along with Carol and Amy. Carol looked back at Ed before turning towards them and mumbling a 'me too' in that cute, shy way that she has.

They all burst out laughing until Ed came over. One thing led to another.

Ed slapped Carol and she fell backwards onto the ground. Andrea and Avery started yelling at him. "Shut your mouth you faggot and get back to doing the woman's work before I knock some sense into you."

Avery growled. He was beyond pissed. he marched right up to Ed and got up into his face.

"Make me." He challenged.

"Avery no!" Andrea shouted.

Ed brought his arm back and snapped it forward, his fist colliding with Avery's cheek. He had no time to defend himself. He didn't actually think Ed would do it.

The girls all screamed as Avery's body fell to the ground. On his hands and knees, he looked up and saw somebody rushing down to the quarry and over to them. He crumpled down in a heap on the sand as Ed gave him a hard kick to his side and punched him again. He stood up and spit on Avery.

"Stay down." he hissed. He went to kick him again when something pierced him through his shoulder. 'A-a knife?' Avery's mind swam as he looked around.

Ed's hands come up to the knife that was visible in his shoulder and stumbled back. Avery struggled to his hands and knees when he noticed that someone had stood in front of him protectively.

"Fuck! You threw a knife at me!" Ed snarled out in pain as Carol cried out and rushed to his side.

"You don't hit people like that." The person in front of her growled. Avery looked at him and into his brown eyes. What was Jim doing down here? Avery only knew Jim as being quiet and he stayed to himself most of the time.

"J-Jim..." His vision swam and he fell forward into the darkness.

_'Great aim, Jim. I gotta thank you for that later...'_


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, so I actually kinda like Lori. Yeah, she can get annoying, but she was a good mom and I can't blame her for sleeping with Shane when all the shit hit the fan, but in this story, she didn't sleep with him. She denied him. It is hinted that he tried and she refused, but it isn't said flat out in this chapter. Enjoy! **

Chapter 5- Disaster

Lori sat in Merle and Daryl's tent as she carefully cleaned off Avery's face. She really liked the young man. He got along well with her son and she knew Carl needed a nice role model in his life.

She smiled down at Avery and brushed some hair out of his face. He was pretty. She felt like he shouldn't be in a world like this. Nobody should.

She sighed and looked down at the bruise forming on the male's jaw. It must have hurt like a bitch. Ed shouldn't have gotten so violent. Now she knew where Carol and Sophia got all their bruises. She had to inform Rick when he came back.

Lori shook her head and went back to mending Avery's face. He was beaten badly by Ed, but she could tell that he was a Dixon. And Dixon's were pretty tough.

"I-Is he gonna be okay?" Lori looked up and over to where Carl was sitting. He and Eren were snuggled together under one of the sleeping bags, Eren watching them silently as he gnawed on his sleeve. She gave a half smile and nodded.

"Don't worry buddy, he's pretty tough. He'll be just fine." She assured her boy and Eren.

Carl looked around and out the window to make sure no one else was near by before he nodded. "He told me a secret mom. Said it was our little secret. Apparently, he is Eren's real mom. Gave birth to him and everything. Doctors don't know how. But don't tell him I told ya!" The boy smiled as he looked at his mom.

"Do you like Avery?" Carl asked randomly. Lori was shocked. She looked down at the man before her and slowly nodded her head.

"Yeah, he's a pretty good man." Lori looked over at Carl and then to Eren. "How are you guys getting along?"

Carl beamed at his mom before looking down at Eren. "He's very quiet. Hasn't cried yet. Only speaks occasionally. We get along really well. Right Eren?" He paused and waited until Eren nodded before frowning a little. "How come Shane doesn't like Them? He said some mean things, got in a fight with Avery, and then kept glaring at them. He called Eren mean words too."

"I'm not sure bud. It's just how Shane is."

_'Shane better keep his grubby hands off this family, and out of their business. He's done enough damage to this group. He already tried to destroy mine.' _Her thoughts traveled around, thinking about how hard it was having Shane hovering around her and Carl before Rick came back. He wouldn't leave her alone.

Carl's voice dragged her back and she faced her son. "Daryl had the same look on his face when Shane talked bad about Eren and Avery. That's why I really like them both. They care about others... Well at least Avery does. Daryl cares more for just Avery and Eren!" He smiled brightly.

Lori opened her mouth to say something when Avery groaned. Lori's head shot back over to him and she smiled again. "L-Lori?"

Lori smiled and nodded. "I'm here."

He smiled and cracked his eyes opened a bit. "Ugh, I hurt all over."

Lori's smile turned into a sad one and she shook her head. "You shouldn't have riled Ed up. He shouldn't have done that though. Stupid bastard." She whispered under her breath as she wiped some blood off of Avery's forehead.

Carl's mouth dropped opened. "Swear." Eren whispered causing Carl to let out a small laugh.

Avery let out a hoarse laugh also and turned his head slightly towards Eren and Carl. "Hey baby. How ya doing?"

Eren shrugged and started to tear up. "Papa, ya hurt."

Avery smiled sadly at him. "Papa's alright baby. I'm fine." He rests a hand over his and squeezed it softly. He clung to Avery's hand and sniffles, wiping his nose and burying his face into Carl's chest.

"And you Carl?" He asked him.

"Good! Amy and Andrea went and caught a ton of fish! Everyone's eating right now."

Avery smiled. He hadn't even noticed it was dark. "They back yet?"

Carl frowned and scooted closer. "No..." He looked down at Eren and lightly began to rub his back. Eren let out a small laugh as he did. "but they should be back soon, right mom?"

Lori smiled and nodded. "Should be back any time now."

He looked off towards the door and noticed a few people glance over at the tent every once in a while. Avery chuckled.

"I have everyone worried, don't I? Where is Ed?"

"In his tent resting. Damn bastard."

After a bit of convincing to Lori, Avery was allowed to go and sit at the fire pit with the rest of the group. Carl sat beside her as he and Eren watched the fire silently.

The group had asked how he was doing and were actually concerned about him. A few jokes were passed around and the group was laughing and having a good time. Other than his jaw, ribs, and fist aching, he was fine.

"I'm going to go pee." Amy announced as she stood up to go to the RV. Avery let out a laugh only to clutch his ribs in response. Lori started up a conversation with Eren as he slowly opened up to her like he did with Carl.

"I gotta go too." Avery stood up and slowly made his way towards the RV. He was just about to open the door when Amy beat him to it. Amy smiled at him and moved to the side as she shouted to the rest of the group about being out of toilet paper.

Avery's heart froze when a walker grabbed onto Amy's arm. He reacted fast. He pushed Amy into the RV and kicked the walker away from them. His mind shouted for him to save Amy. Amy reminded him of his sister. If she died... Avery knew it would destroy both him and Andrea.

"Shut the door!" He shouted to Amy as he stumbled backwards. He watched as Amy did what she was told. Luckily the walker that noticed them had its full attention on Avery.

"Papa!" Eren screamed for the first time since the world went to shit.

Avery could hear people screaming as a large group of walkers attacked the camp. He heard Lori and Amy shouting his name as he fell onto his back. His brain screamed at him to find Eren and make sure his child was safe.

The walker that attacked him pinned him down. He grunted as he tried to hold it away from him by its neck. His ribs groaned in protest and he fought. He was slowly losing strength as he tried to keep the snapping jaws away from his flesh.

Avery's eyes widened in shock and pain as the walker sank its teeth into his shoulder. He let out a scream as it clamped down tighter. Tears streamed down his face as it dawned on him. It was the worst pain ever. To have a zombie tear its teeth into you. It was more painful than childbirth. And that fucking sucked healing after surgery.

_'No... Please no.'_

His eyes squeezed shut in pain.

_'I've been bit!'_

This peaceful night just became a blood bath.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Game Over

As the walker's jaws were clamped and locked on Avery's shoulder, his eyes stared up at the visible stars as he struggled. They shined so brightly, occasionally twinkling, as if they were winking. His mind went into a state of shock. His eyes wide, mouth hanging open. His scream was cut off as shock took over.

His life before the Apocalypse flashed in his mind. His head lolled backwards, and his eyes shut just as the walkers body went limp above his.

"Avery!" A deep raspy panicked voice yelled as the corpse was lifted off his body.

Daryl knelt next to his husband. His hands examined him as he searched for any wounds. His body froze up as he noticed the torn-up flesh on his shoulder.

"No no no no no no no!" He cried out. He put his hands on the wound to stop the bleeding. He could feel the tears stinging his eyes. Avery's blood seeped between his fingers and it wasn't stopping.

"Daryl!"

Daryl's head shot over his shoulder as Rick jogged over. Carl was holding Eren close as the boy cried into Carl's shirt. Some of the other group members right behind them. Rick knelt down next to Daryl and placed his hands over Daryl's.

"Amy! RV. First Aid kit. Now! He's going into shock!" Rick ordered. Amy nodded and quickly rushed back into the RV.

Avery sat up and tried to help Daryl stop the bleeding. "I'm bit... I got bit!"

Lori pushed past everyone and came over to help the three of them. Carl gripped Eren's body closer as he stared at Avery's shaking body. "He's bit, isn't he mom. He's gonna die." Tears streamed down his face and his face burrowed into Eren's side.

Those words froze Avery as he glanced up into Daryl's eyes in fear. He was panicking.

Amy ran back over with the first aid kit. She handed over all the gauze they had.

"What happened!?" Rick asked Amy as he, Daryl, Lori worked fast to stop the bleeding.

Amy wiped her tears as she tried to compose herself. "He saved my life. Pushed me out of the way of the walker..." No more needed to be said for them to guess what happened next.

Once they got the bleeding under control, Daryl lifted Avery's body up and they moved him into the RV.

Lori and Daryl stood by the bed in the back of the RV as the rest of the group worked on gathering the bodies of all the dead. Burning the walkers and burring the group members who died.

Daryl stayed close to Avery and refused to leave his side. He assured Lori that it was fine and to go watch the boys.

Avery's skin was pale, and he was sweating pretty badly. Daryl was terrified and all he could do was sit and hold Avery's hand as they waited.

* * *

Daryl sat on the bed as Avery slept. His head was resting on Avery's lap as he listened to his breathing. There was a knock on the RV door before Rick walked in.

"We are leaving for the CDC soon. How's he doing?" Rick asked as he walked over towards Daryl. Daryl lifted up his head and nodded. He looked at Avery's face and sighed.

"No fever yet. Just keeps tossing and turning."

"Must be dreaming."

"I wonder what about..." Daryl drawled out.

* * *

_Avery let out a giggle as Daryl tickled him. He was smiling brightly as he watched Avery laugh. His hands stopped tickling him and he lowered his head to his stomach._

_"What do ya think it's gonna be?" He asked out of nowhere. He nuzzled his face into Avery's tummy. Avery let out a hum and started to run his fingers through Daryl's hair._

_"I'm thinking a boy." Avery ruffled his hair and rolled over so he was laying on Daryl's chest. He looked up at his husband and winked. "You?"_

_"Same. Never 'magined I'd be a father. Didn't think it was gonna be possible once I married ya. Maybe adoption, but this? " His hands stroked Avery's back in soothing strokes. "When ya gonna start show'n?"_

_His husband laughed and sat up. His hands went to Daryl's hips and his legs straddled his waist. "I'm only a month and a half through. I won't start showing until about 4 or 5 months."_

_Daryl let out a chuckle and gripped onto Avery's waist and grinned up at him. "Just wanna show ya off ta people. Let 'em know yer mine. That I love ya."_

_Avery blushed and buried his face into Daryl's chest. "Oh yeah. All people will be thinking is 'hey look! It's that hermaphrodite who got pregnant!' Cause that will bring in a ton of news reporters... And scientists wanting to 'examine me." Avery spoke sarcastically as and put air quotes around the word examine before chuckling at his husband's dumb struck face._

_Daryl brought Avery's face to his and smiled softly. "Ya know that only you, me, and our trusted doctor and nurses know about this right? And I ain't gonna let anyone experiment on you two."_

_Avery smiled and nodded. "I love you too Daryl. I married you, didn't I?"_

* * *

Avery shot up and screamed. He rolled over and fell off the bed. Daryl rushed over to his side. Avery was clawing at his shoulder, tearing the gauze off in the process. Daryl tried to keep Avery's hands from hurting himself even further until he froze up and just sat there.

Avery's head fell forward and collapsed on Daryl. Daryl held him close. His husbands breathing came in deep ragged breaths. Avery was terrified.

Rick came up behind Daryl with a sad expression.

"What are we going to do when the bite gets to him?"

"I-I don't know." Daryl mumbled out; his face filled with grief. Ricks eyes widened as Daryl started to silently cry, his cries making Avery cry even harder.

The door to the RV bursts open and Lori stormed in. The group was standing behind them and they all came inside. Rick shook his head. It was getting cramped inside the RV.

"Guys... Come on, give them some space."

Avery's body twitched, and his breathing was ragged again. His arms gripped onto Daryl's arms and his nails dug into his flesh.

"Avery..." Rick trailed off.

"I-I wanna see Eren..." He got out as he tried to stop his sniffling.

Avery hissed as his shoulder pulled as he shifted, and he winced in pain. "M-my shoulder. It burns."

Daryl nodded quickly to him and Rick tossed him some more bandages. Daryl gently rewrapped Avery's bite and helped put him back on the bed.

Rick stared at them as Carl and Eren walked in, both of them rushing to Avery's side. He held them close as the boys cried. Daryl kissed Avery's cheek before standing up and walking over to Rick.

"H-" He quickly cleared his throat. "He doesn't have a fever yet and the wound doesn't look too bad. No discoloration or any signs of infection."

Rick nodded slowly. He glanced at Avery briefly before locking eyes with Daryl. "No signs of a fever at all?"

Daryl shook his head slowly. "None. Guess we will find out when we get to the CDC." He looked at Rick tiredly. "And fast."

Rick nodded. "At least he doesn't seem to be getting worse." He said as he looked at Avery's pale, sweat covered face as he kissed Eren's face with a small, pained smile.

Daryl nodded and smiled weakly. "Yeah..." He mumbled. "I don't want to lose him." Daryl closed his eyes. "It was too close."

Rick nodded. "I will tell the others. We will leave in a few minutes when everyone is ready."

Daryl made a noise of acknowledgment as Rick left the RV.

_'Way too damn close. It was almost game over, Avery, fer both of us...'_


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- The CDC

Lights flashed through Avery's eye lids as his body started to wake up. He could tell that he was laying on a soft surface._ 'A bed maybe?'_ He tried to open his eyes, lift a hand, move a finger, anything, but his body felt like lead. He knew someone was holding his hand. _'Probably Daryl.' _He thought and inwardly sighed. He was so tired. His body refused to listen to him as his mind drifted in and out of consciousness._ 'That's right... I'm in the RV with Eren and Daryl...'_

"How's he doin'?" A deep drawl drifted through the RV. Daryl looked up from Avery's face to Ricks.

Daryl sighed and shook his head. "Hasn't moved an inch since we left the quarry. Still no fever."

Rick nodded as he leaned against the bathroom door. "We are almost to the CDC. Bout five minutes."

Daryl nodded. "Everyone doin' alright?"

"Yeah. It's Avery we're all worked about." Rick looked out of the window at the trees as they passed by. "No one's really upset. They understand why we haven't done anything yet. There could still be hope. Well... Everyone's happy minus Shane."

"Good." Daryl said as he laid his head down. He gave Avery's hand a small squeeze before turning his gaze to Rick. "Anything new happen since Avery was attacked?"

Rick nodded. "Jim was bit. We stopped a while ago when you were sleeping. He wanted us to just leave him. We respected his wish."

Daryl looked away, a deep frown on his face. "How many did we lose? Who's left?"

"You, me, Avery, Lori, Carl, Jaquie, Andrea, Amy, Shane, T-Dog, Dale, Glenn, Eren, Sophia and Carol."

"So we did lose a lot." Daryl mumbled to himself.

Rick ran his hand through his hair. "We got plenty of vehicles. Amy is driving Avery's jeep with Andrea, Glenn has Merle's truck with your motorcycle in the back, Shane has his jeep, Carol has her car, and Dale has the RV."

"Eren with Lori and Carl?" Daryl asked.

Rick nodded. "Ya."

Daryl nodded slowly as he closed his eyes.

As the RV pulled to a stop, Daryl woke Avery up and with his help, they slowly stepped out of the RV as they got the rest of the group huddled together for safety. Avery was dizzy and could barely even hold himself up right.

"We shouldn't be this close to the city near night fall." Lori whispered to Rick as they got closer to the CDC. Avery nodded in agreement, tightening his weak grip on Daryl's arm, watching as Carl and Eren held hands as they were sandwiched between their parents.

Rick looked at his wife. "I know, but we don't have much of a choice." He told her as they came up to the doors of the CDC. Glenn and Shane stood in the back, killing off and any stragglers while Rick tried to open the shutters that covered the doors. Rick noticed the camera on the building move a little and started to scream at it.

"I know your in there! Please, open up! We have women and children!"

Lori tried to pull him back as everyone started to head back to the vehicles. "Rick, there's no body in there!"

Rick screamed out in anger and broke away from his wife. "Your killing us! Your killing us!"

The children started to panic, and the parents tried to shush them. After a fer seconds, Shane managed to pull Rick away from the doors. "There are walkers everywhere. We need to go. Now!"

Just as Rick gave in and turned to head back with the group, the doors to the CDC went up and opened. A bright light shone from within and a man stepped in the doorway with an AK47 in his arms.

"What do you want?" The man asked as he pointed the gun at them. Daryl moved his body to cover his husbands smaller frame, turning slightly in case the man fired the gun. He'd rather get shot than for Avery to and Lori did the same with Carl and Eren.

Rick turned towards the man. "A chance. Just a chance."

The man nodded slowly. "That's asking an awful lot these days. Has anyone been bit?"

Rick nodded. "Two. One didn't make it."

The man stepped forward and everyone could see his face. He was middle aged man around Andrea's age, with graying orange hair and green eyes. "And the other?"

Daryl turned towards the man. "He's right here. But he ain't seem to be turning. Don't even have a fever." His accent deep and thick. "Jus' weak from blood loss and pain."

The man looked at him weirdly. "What do you mean?"

Daryl sighed. "He was bit last night and still no fever. No signs of infection. Just looks bad. Why wouldn't it though? Teeth tore into his flesh. Other than that, he seems fine."

Avery hid weakly behind Daryl as he looked up at the strange man.

The man looked shocked. He seemed to pause as he contemplated this in his head. "You will all need to take a blood test. That is my price for admission. And I'll have to take a look at the boy."

Avery sweat dropped._ 'Boy? How young does this guy think I am?'_

Rick nodded in agreement. "As long as one of us is there when you look at him."

The man nodded. "Done. My name is Dr. Jenner. Grab your things now. Once these doors are closed, they will not be reopened."

They took an elevator down and took the blood tests. Andrea nearly passed out from the lack of food when her blood was taken. Then it was Avery's turn.

He let the man look at his bite before taking his blood.

"Bite looks good. Should be healed in a week or two. It'll leave a pretty nasty scar." He finished wrapping it and drew some of his blood. "I'll take a quick look at it. I'll look at the others afterwards. My name is Edwin Jenner."

He placed Avery's blood on a piece of glass, the younger man noted, as Jenner looked at it through a microscope. Daryl stood by his side as Jenner did his work.

"Interesting... There is no sign of the infection. Nothing at all."

Daryl let out a sigh. "So he's gonna be okay?"

Jenner nodded. "Seems like it. I want to take a sample of blood straight from the bite while the others take showers, just to make sure. Then you all can eat."

Glenn smiled in delight. "Showers!?"

T-Dog let out a small whoop. "That's what the man said!"

Jenner showed everyone where the rooms they would be staying in were, and then motioned for Rick, Avery and Daryl to follow him.

He led them to a lab and had Daryl place Avery on the table. He took a blood sample from the bite and looked at the blood through a microscope again.

"Oh my..." He whispered as he looked at the cells react fiercely to the infection. They were killing it off at an alarming rate.

"What?" Daryl asked in panic.

"His cells are bonding with each other and killing off the virus." He looked up at the two. "He seems to be immune to it. The virus isn't spreading through his blood, that's why I didn't see any from the blood I took from his vein in the crease of his elbow."

"Then why the hell was he in so much pain if he is immune?" Daryl growled.

"His body was most likely not prepared. It was doing everything it could to stop the virus from spreading too far. It just didn't start until it was almost too late. They were activated once the infection set in. Which is why there was no fever. It didn't get the chance to start changing him. also, his flesh was torn into, of course he would be in pain."

"Will it be like that every time when he gets bit?" Rick asked.

"I have no clue." Jenner said as he cleaned up the blood around the bite on Avery's shoulder. "You're already healing." He told him as Avery stared at him in shock. "Miraculous." Jenner whispered to himself.

"So he'll be okay?" Daryl asked quietly again.

"Other than a small infection from other bacteria in the walker's mouth, he seems just fine. Antibiotics will fix that right up, but yes, he will be fine." He smiled at the couple. "Are you his brother?"

Daryl frowned before grabbing Avery's hand tightly. "I'm 'is husband." He answered gruffly.

"Husband?" Jenner questioned and Daryl nodded once. "My apologies. And the boy, he yours or your husbands here?"

Avery frowned and gave Daryl's hand a squeeze and spoke up. "That is none of your business."

He smiled and squeezed Daryl's hand again as Daryl helped him up.

"My apologies. Take him to a room, let him rest. You can bring him some food after he showers. He needs it. You all do." Jenner spoke to Avery and Daryl before making his way back to the microscope.

Daryl nodded and scooped Avery up into his arms again. He paused at the door and turned his head back to Jenner. "Thanks."

Jenner nodded his head and smiled softly at Daryl.

With that, Daryl took off down the hall looking for a vacant room.

Jenner turned to Rick. "He always like that?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah. He's been better since he found his husband and child though. He's had it rough. He lost his brother not too long ago."

As Rick and Jenner walked into the main room of the CDC, which could be considered the living room with lots of computer monitors and sofas, Lori emerged from the kitchen.

"Do you mind if a couple of girls and I prepare a meal for us all after we all have cleaned up? We want to thank you."

Jenner smiled at her and nodded. "Be my guest. Help yourself to the pantry and kitchen."

Lori smiled widely and grabbed Ricks hand, dragging him towards the hallway with the rooms. "Come on, let's go shower."

Rick looked back at Jenner and shouted, "Thank you!"

Edwin Jenner nodded with a soft smile on his face as he watched the two disappear down the hall. "Vi, we aren't alone anymore. There are others still out there, and that boy and his child might be the only chance this world has for a cure. He must survive this hell. Him and the child both."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8- Reunion Worth the Wait

**Warning: 75% Smut**

Avery laid in the bed that Daryl had brought him to. He had taken a shower and felt thoroughly clean for the first time in weeks. He was finally able to relax and was regaining his strength slowly. Daryl had kissed him nonstop for about 5 minutes before he left. He came back with a plate of food in one hand and Eren in his other arm. Daryl tried to stay after he gave Avery both the food and their child, but one look from Avery told him to go eat with the others and find out what was going on. Though reluctantly, Daryl left him with their son to go eat and see what was going on. Avery could hear the laughter from the room and smiled softly. He was glad everyone was enjoying themselves. He smiled as he shared his food with his son. He explained to him that his mommy was fine and wasn't going anywhere.

Avery slowly ate the rest of his food while softly talking to Eren. Around thirty minutes after Daryl had left, there was a soft knock at the door. He glanced up and told whoever it was that the door was open.

The door cracked open a bit and Carl peeked his head in. Avery smiled warmly at him. "Come on in buddy."

Carl smiled widely and came into the room, shutting the door behind him. He rushed over to the bed and climbed up and sat next to his two friends, working his way under the covers as Avery lifted them and invited him in. He sat next to Eren who immediately grabbed Carl's hand.

"I finished early and mom said I could come see you guys when I was done with dinner." He leaned over and buried his face into Avery's chest. "I am so glad you are okay!" He wrapped his arms around the older male and let the tears go. Avery gently set his plate down on the bedside table and hugged the boy back. He placed his head on top of Carl's and smiled as he closed his eyes.

"I'm going to be just fine. Nothing to worry about. I ain't going anywhere. I won't leave you or Eren." Avery ran his hand through Carl's soft hair while the other brought him closer to his body.

Carl lifts his head and sniffles. He looked down at Eren, who had grabbed Carl's shirt in his fists and looked up at Carl with tears in his eyes, as if he was begging Carl not to cry.

Carl gave a wet laugh and hugged the smaller boy closer and Avery watched as Eren wrapped his arms around Carl's neck.

Avery chuckled as he watched the boys have their moment. "Looks like you have a boyfriend, buddy." Carl's smile widened and he blushed as he hid his face in Eren's neck.

"You'll never leave us, right?" He asked so softly that Avery could barely hear him. His face softened up even more.

Avery brought the two boys closer to his chest and nodded. "Never."

Avery moved to lay down completely and brought the boys with him. He turned on his side, Carl nuzzled into his chest with Eren in between them both. The door opens once more, and he glanced over to it and smiled at Lori as she entered, looking for Carl no doubt.

"Have you seen Carl? He was supposed to come see you..." She trailed off as she saw him in his arms. He had fallen asleep. She smiled softly at him and Avery chuckled. Lori walked on in and smiled as she picked him up. Avery helped her by gently prying Eren from Carl's grasp. Lori let out a soft laugh as he clung to the smaller boy.

"They are really attached to each other." Lori commented and Avery smiled.

"They sure are."

Lori smiled and started to leave the room. "I'll be right back." She left with Carl as she smiled.

Not five minutes later, she was back. "I'll take Eren for the night if you want to catch up with Daryl." Lori said as she sat by Avery's side.

"Thank you, Lori. For everything."

"Oh, don't be silly. It's no problem." She laughed and gave the younger man a hug. "Carl seems to really like you two."

Avery smiled. "He's a good kid." He laughed with Lori. "So, what is everyone up to?"

Lori chucked to herself. "Getting drunk. Most of the men will be hung over tomorrow morning. Daryl is trying to get Glenn drunk. It was working when I left." Lori picked up Avery's discarded plate and Eren, like she did with Carl, as she got permission from Avery. She smiled and left the room.

Avery stood up and worked his way into the bathroom. He slipped the shirt over his head and looked down at himself. He was pale with a few scars and tattoos here and there. He stood there in his black boxers as he examined his body. He trailed his fingers across his skin looking for any other cuts from the walker that attacked him. He stopped as he reached his shoulder and grimaced at the bandaged limb. He sighed softly as he tore her eyes away from his body. The only thing that kept him from being a true girl was the lack of boobs, a vagina, and his penis. The rest of him was skinny and on the verge of feminine like. His face was slim, and his eyes were large and round. His fingers went up to his collar bone. There was a pink scar there where he had gotten angry at his body and took a razor to his skin. It isn't the only scar he had caused. A tattoo on his left and right forearm covered the rest. They weren't even noticeable unless you brought his skin 3 inches from your face.

He didn't even notice as Daryl entered the room and leaned against the door to the bathroom. He watched as Avery examined his own body.

Daryl moved forward while his husband poked at his body and sighed softly. He wrapped his arms around him from behind and buried his face into Avery's neck, inhaling his scent.

"Yer beautiful. 'nd don't ya forget it." He kissed Avery's neck and Avery turned around in his arms.

Avery kissed Daryl's lips softly and sighed happily as Daryl tilted his head and deepened the kiss. He smirked against Avery's mouth and his smaller husband let out a soft moan. He wrapped his arms around Daryl's neck. Avery was backed up against the wall as Daryl turned around, turned on the shower waited for it to warm up before he quickly shed his clothes and turned back to his smaller husband.

* * *

**(Warning! Start of smut!)**

Daryl slid his hands to Avery's hips and slid his boxers off slowly. His mouth attacked the smaller males in a demanding kiss. Avery opened his mouth to Daryl's and let his tong wrestle with his. One of his hands slid up Avery's body and tweaked one of his nipples. Avery let a sigh out into Daryl's mouth as he was backed into the shower.

He lifted Avery up and broke the kiss and he secured the smaller male against the shower wall. Avery shivered as he gazed at Daryl. His eyes were darkened with lust as he dropped his gaze to oggle Avery's body. He planted small open mouth kisses to the pale chest and flicked his tongue against a pert nipple and took it into his mouth. The warm water beat down on them as Daryl continued to worship his husband's chest.

"Perfect." He mumbled out. He needed to make sure that Avery knew he was perfect in his eyes... Small chest and scars included.

Avery moaned as he wrapped his legs around Daryl's waist and felt his husband's erection slap up against his tummy. Daryl was hard and it was all because of Avery. His size always amazed the smaller man. He had been the first man he had ever slept with, and Avery was terrified at his size at first, but he loved it all the same. His husband was definitely well endowed.

Daryl kissed his way back up Avery's chest and attached his lips to his throat as he drifted a hand down Avery's body. He gripped onto Avery's smaller shaft and gave it a stroke. Avery arched his back and moaned loudly.

Daryl smirked against Avery's pale neck before releasing Avery and raising his hand to Avery's mouth and having the younger man suck his fingers. He needed something to lessen the pain.

Daryl brought the slickened fingers down behind Avery's erection, behind the small sacks, and to the smaller male's entrance. He slowly slid one finger in before adding another and scissoring them. Daryl groaned out and curved his fingers. Both he and Aver preferred having sex while facing one another, it just felt more intimate that way.

Daryl had missed how warm and tight his husband was. Avery was his salvation. He is the only one besides his brother and son that kept him sane.

Avery brought Daryl's head away from his neck, cupped his face, and stared right into his steel eyes. "Daryl..." Avery moaned as he started to plunge his fingers in and out of his wet heat. They kept eye contact as he drove Avery closer and closer to the edge. Avery threw his head back and whimpered as Daryl hit his prostate and threw him over the edge.

Avery slumped against his husband as the fingers withdrew and Daryl gripped his hips. Avery took Daryl's face in his hands again and kissed him as they tried to catch their breath. Avery shifted his hips and lined himself up with Daryl's shaft. Daryl felt him tense up as Daryl sank inside of him, Avery's walls gripping his cock tightly. It had been nearly a month and a half since he had been inside his smaller husband. Daryl has been the only man Avery has ever slept with, too scared to show anyone the truth, to be intimate, and each time just kept getting better and better.

Daryl let out a loud grunt as his husband's walls squeezed him. God it had been so long. He missed this. He missed Avery. Daryl broke the kiss as he drew back and gazed at the younger man. Avery cupped Daryl's right cheek in his hand and smiled at him.

"I love ya. So much." Daryl whispered as he drew out of Avery before sinking back in. Avery sighed as he clung onto Daryl's shoulders. He met Daryl thrust for thrust as he set an immediately fast pace after realizing Avery hardly felt any pain from the entrance. They continued to worship all of the skin that they could reach. Their breaths came out in pants. The only sound between them was their pants, grunts, groans and moans. It wasn't long before Daryl brought Avery to his second orgasm and followed shortly after.

Daryl pulled back, shut the shower off, poorly dried them both and brought Avery to bed. He didn't even bother dressing themselves.

Once the covers were over them both, Avery rolled over and straddled his lap. The blankets pooled around his waist. Avery smiled down at Daryl as he caressed his face, running his fingers through his facial hair. Daryl nuzzled into Avery's hand and smiled a soft smile reserved only for his family.

"I love you also." Avery whispered before he sank himself onto his husband's cock. Daryl threw his head back in surprise as he watched Avery ride him at a slow and gentle pace. He gripped his hips in his hands and thrusts up into Avery each time he came down. Daryl moaned, sat up, and pulled Avery's nipple into his eager mouth. He quickly flipped them over, withdrew himself from the warmth that was Avery, flipped him onto his knees before sinking back inside. He took Avery from behind, something they rarely did, while Avery sat up and threw an arm back to wrap around Daryl's neck. His arms were around Avery, his left hand, stroking Avery's neglected shaft as he plowed into him while the other hand firmly gripped Avery's chest.

Avery let out a soft scream as Daryl picked up the pace and hit his prostate. He was making Avery's body scream for more. Avery turned his head and caught Daryl's lips in a kiss as the larger male pushed inside one more time, before exploding inside Avery's tight channel. Daryl groaned as he pulled away from the kiss and threw his head back in bliss.

Daryl panted as he withdrew from Avery's heat. He had yet to make Avery cum that time. He gently laid Avery down on the bed as he kneeled down and shifted Avery's legs. He brought them to his shoulders and he buried his face between pale thighs, desperate to make his husband scream his name.

His tongue worked expertly on Avery's cock as he writhed beneath Daryl's form. He loved how his husband tastes. So sweet. Avery gripped onto Daryl's hair as he worked him closer to oblivion. He quickly took the whole shaft into his mouth, sucking and bobbing, gently touching the warm, twitching hole directly behind it.

Avery moaned his name and let out a scream as he came. Daryl eagerly swallowed his husbands seed, desperate to catch every drop of Avery's sweet, sweet nectar.

**(Safe!)**

* * *

Daryl pulled back and stared down at the god laying before him. His pale skin was sleek with sweat and his chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. A satisfied smile slid across Avery's face as he opened his arms. Daryl smiled and laid down on top of the smaller man. He would always be the precious mother to his child. Avery was his and his alone.

"I missed this." Avery whispered. "When I went home to find you and Merle, you guys were already gone. I had taken Eren to work with me because you and Merle weren't supposed to be home till later that day from hunting, but when people started to eat each other I rushed home, only to find you had already came and gone."

Daryl sighed and pulled him closer. "Merle and I went ta search fer ya. Figured we would meet ya at the hospital. But then the bombs fell. We thought you were dead. We got the message you left on meh cell, but when you were cut off, we thought it was cuz of the bombs." He said as pain laced his voice, his accent thicker as he held back the tears. Dixon's don't cry.

Avery smiled softly and gently ran the fingers of his left hand through Daryl's hair, his wedding band glistened in the dim lighting.

"Cell phone died. That's why I was cut off. I'm sorry I put you through thinking we were dead."

Daryl pressed his lips to Avery's non injured shoulder. "Don't chya ever leave me again. Ya hear?"

Avery giggled softly and smiled into the dimly lit room. "Yes sir."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9- Boom

Avery woke with a start. There were shouts from people panicking outside the bedroom and down the hall. Daryl had left earlier, telling Avery to rest while he went to breakfast with Eren. He had brought Avery food again and he had fallen asleep right afterwards. With Ed's attack, his bruised-up face, broken hand, the walker attack and Daryl's restlessness last night, he was exhausted. Avery stood up on shaking legs and moved to throw on his clothes from yesterday.

He hissed in pain as his skin stretched on his shoulder. It just had to be the same arm with the broken hand. The door burst open and he let out a small scream and tried to cover himself. Daryl stormed into the room in a hurry. He looked pissed.

"What's going on?" Avery asked in a panic as Daryl rushed around packing their shit up in a hurry. He froze and moved over to his startled husband. He helped him slide his boxers on before sliding a pair of jeans up his legs. Daryl carefully helped his arms through a dark grey T-shirt before he picked up their bags, grabbed Avery's hand, and hurried out the door.

"Daryl? What's going on? Where's Eren?"

Daryl ignored him and brought him into a large room where a clock was counting down and people were trying to get Jenner to open a door. Avery saw Eren perched on the ground holding onto Lori and Carl for dear life.

He yanked his hand from Daryl's and rushed over to his boy. He cradled his son close to his chest.

"It sets the air on fire. Don't you want a quick death, no pain and free from this horrid world?" Jenner asked as Shane brought a shot gun to his head.

"Open the damn doors before I blow your brains out!"

Carol cried out. "Please! I don't want my daughter to die this way! She's too young!"

"No pain. Everything will be over before you know it." Jenner added.

Rick stepped forward and tried to get Shane to drop the gun. Avery caught sight of Daryl hacking away at a metal door with an ax. It wasn't doing anything. Not even a dent.

He stood up slowly and Lori tried to pull him back as he walked towards Dr. Jenner. "Avery!" She called frantically.

Avery stopped in front of Jenner. He watched him as he looked down at the floor. "Do you think your wife would want this? You will kill people who do not want to die. You say that there is no hope out there, that we would be better off dying here, but your wrong." Jenner shot his head up and looked the young man dead in the eyes.

"There is hope. I heard you say it last night. I don't know what exactly is keeping me from becoming a walker, but it's in my blood." He said softly. Jenner looked away, deep in thought. "Open the door. Let us find that hope."

"No... I told you all. I can't."

Avery sighed before reaching back and slapping him hard. Jenner's head shot sideways and the whole room went silent. "Stop being selfish. I won't let you kill my family this way. We have all survived this long and we will keep surviving. We have each other. We look after each other." His voice was eerily calm for the way the situation was. "Your wife would be ashamed of you."

Jenner gave a sad smile before nodding. "Your right." He hit a few buttons on a computer before the metal doors slid open. Everyone rushed and quickly grabbed their stuff.

Daryl rushed over to Avery and pulled him back. "Thank you, Dr. Jenner." Avery told him as Daryl dragged him through the metal doors and to the elevator, Amy right behind them with Eren. Once inside the elevator Eren rushed forward from Amy and clung himself to his mother's waist.

"Wait... Where's Jaquie?" Avery pondered as Amy shook her head.

"She decided to stay behind. I couldn't stop her." Amy whispered as she clung onto her sister. Andrea held her close as the younger girl sobbed.

"No..." Avery close her eyes. The doors dinged and opened. People rushed forward.

The men tried to break the windows, but it didn't work. They were bullet proof.

"It's no use!" Rick growled as they tried to smash it.

"Wait!" Carol spoke up. She went through a bag quickly and pulled out an object. "I found this while cleaning your clothes the other day."

Rick took the grenade from her hands and went to the window. He took a deep breath and pulled the pin. He froze for a split second before dropping it. "Shit! Everybody! Get down!" He shouted as he dove away from the window. Avery covered Eren and Daryl cover them both with his body as a large boom went off causing the ground shook.

Daryl pulled them up and the group rushed outside. They all ran towards where they left the vehicles. Daryl pushed Avery and Eren towards their pickup truck. Avery curled around Eren as Daryl hopped in and threw his body over his family.

The ground shook, and heat was all that anyone could feel. Avery groaned as his ears rang. He sat up once he could get a grip on his mind and move around.

Daryl started the truck and waited till Avery took over, got out, grabbed his bike from the back, and led the group of vehicles away from the CDC and towards the highway.

Avery held Eren close as he drove, occasionally looking down at him to look for any visible injuries.

"Papa, 'm fine. Not hurt." Eren told him and he sighed in relief.

"My baby. I love you so much." Avery said ad he kissed his forehead. He leaned back against the seat and pulled Eren's body closer to his side.

Daryl glanced back to where his family was safe and sound in his truck. They were safe, and that is all that mattered to him.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10- Sophia

**Avery's POV**

We had pulled off to the side of the highway. There were cars everywhere and our vehicles couldn't get through. Rick had told everyone to get out and search the vehicles for supplies.

I was currently rummaging through the back of a small Cadillac when I overheard Carl talking with Eren. They were standing a few cars in front of me, looking around together. The two had become extremely close over the last few days. I would doubt if they became more than just friends in the future. I could see it happening.

"Dude! Look what I found!" Carl's voice spoke up. I saw him jump into a truck and carefully reach over a dead body. I held my breath, hoping the body didn't rise up and attack the boy. Carl jumped down and held his arms out to Eren. They sat down on the ground and I watched as Carl rolled out the bundle he had.

My eyes widened. I shut the trunk of the Cadillac and moved towards the two boys. "Wow, Carl! Good find." I knelt and eyed the row of knives with the boys. I heard the faint sound of water hitting the ground and looked up.

Quite a few cars down, was a large truck. Glenn and Shane were admiring their find of water. I was amazed. That was a shit ton of water. Gallons of it. Shane had opened one up and let it cover him as he sighed happily and whooped in joy. Dumb ass was wasting it.

I turned my attention back to the two boys in front of me and beamed at Carl as he rolled the knives back up and smiled up at me when we stood.

"Why don't you go to your mom and have her put those in the RV? You can come right back afterwards." I smiled at him.

Eren grabbed onto my shirt and tugged softly. "C-can I go with Carl?" My gaze softened and I kissed my boy on the cheek.

"Go ahead, but be careful."

I watched as the two boys took off in the direction that Lori was in. I smiled and went back to searching the cars. Rick and Daryl were in the process of searching for a new hose for the RV and to see if they could do something to move our vehicles through the highway. T-Dog was off somewhere looking through cars. Dale was on look out on the RV roof. Andrea and Amy were in the RV learning how to take a gun apart, clean it, and put it back together again. Lori, Sophia and Carol were searching through cars just like I was. We needed pretty much everything. Clothes, medical supplies, water, food, and weapons.

I opened the back door to a small red Sedan and a shit eating grin spread across my face. I picked up the small box and chuckled. I pulled the condoms out of the box and shoved them all into my backpack. Who knows, if I don't need them, one of the other group members might. Don't want any babies coming into this horrid world.

I rummage around the back seat and pull a duffel bag towards me. I sit down and pull it on my lap, my legs dangling outside of the car. I unzip the bag to see some clothes. They were men's clothes. Perfect for Rick or Daryl. I re-zipped the bag and slung it over my shoulder. I stood up and moved on to another car.

As I was searching the trunk of a car, someone covered my mouth. I let out a small yelp and gripped the arm around me, ready to throw them over my shoulder.

"Shh! It's just me!" I sighed in relief and spun around. I smacked T-Dog in the chest.

"You scared the shit out of me!" I hissed.

"There's a hoard of walkers heading towards us. Rick said to hide and wait them out." T-Dog told me quietly. He tugged me behind a rusted old car, and I tugged the open door to hide behind it. T-Dog hissed as he smacked arm against a sharp piece of metal. Blood rushed from the wound as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"Shit!" I put my hands over his and tried to help him. A stray walker saw us and staggered our way. I quickly started to panic. A figure jumped out from behind a car and stabbed it in the head.

"D-" I started only to be shushed. Daryl dragged the body over and pushed T-Dog to the ground. He put the body over him and put his finger to his lips. T-Dog frantically nodded, and Daryl gripped me around the waist and shoved me under a vehicle. He pressed up against me and covered my mouth to muffle my breathing. I was freaking out. I haven't really encountered any infected before, other than the one that bit me. I always avoided them when it was just Eren and I.

I clung onto Daryl's arms as he held me close. I watched as the dead shuffled by the cars slowly, my silencer digging into my hip. They were way too close for my comfort. I locked eyes with T-Dog and prayed the walkers would keep ignoring him. Daryl really saved our asses here, but T-Dog needs to get that arm looked at, and fast. The nurse in me was kicking in. I just pray that Lori had Eren and Carl.

A few minutes later, the coast seemed clear. Daryl released me and let out a sigh. I kissed his lips as a thank you.

A scream broke me away from him. Our heads dashed up to see Sophia down the road running from a few straggler walkers. She bolted for the forest and Rick was not too far behind her. Carol's sobbing could be heard by everyone.

Daryl moved fast. He dashed out from under the car and followed Rick. I scrambled up and over to T-Dog. I lifted the body up and off of him with a little struggle and helped him up. We walked towards the RV. I needed to clean and stitch his wound. I was a doctor before shit hit the fan. I worked in the ER. I could handle this. I guess that's a great skill set to know in this type of world.

As we approached the RV, I told T-Dog to go on in and I'd be right behind him.

I saw Lori comforting Carol with the boy's right behind her. I rushed over and lifted Eren into my arms.

He clung onto me and I kissed his face repeatedly. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

He frantically shook his head as he silently cried into my neck. "Was scared..." He whispered. I smiled softly at him as I walked over to the RV. I set him down and held his hand as we walked inside. I started rummaging around and managed to find some string and a needle. I didn't have a suture kit with me.

Amy and Andrea were dragging a dead walker out of the RV as I set the string and needle down on the table where T-Dog was sitting.

"What the hell happened in here?" I asked Amy.

She looked up at me and managed a small smile. "Andrea and I had to hide in the bathroom. It wandered through the door. Andrea had to stab it so it couldn't get us."

Andrea chuckled humorlessly. "Dale handed me the screwdriver through the sunroof."

I nodded and turned my attention back to the problem at hand. I set Eren down by T-Dog and went to the kitchen sink. I grabbed a washcloth but couldn't find any disinfectant. "Fuck."

I rushed over to the door of the RV and searched for Glenn. He was by the water truck watching the tree lines for Rick, Daryl and Sophia. He definitely had something I could use.

"Glenn!" I called out to him. He looked over at me and a small smile came to his face. Probably glad I was okay.

"Can you search through Merle's pack on the bike for any alcohol and pain killers?" I asked.

"Yeah, one sec." He jogged over to my husband's motorcycle and dug through a bag attached to its side. He tossed me a bottle of whiskey and a zip block bag with pill cases. I raised an eyebrow in shock.

"Well I'll be damned. I gotta thank Merle for his drug stash. He actually thought with his brain for once."

Glenn chuckled and walked back to the water truck. Right, I forget. Merle use to be addicted to strong pain killers and antibiotics.

I went back to T-Dog and handed him two pills. "Your gonna need it." I opened the whiskey and flinched inwardly. "This is gonna hurt like a bitch." I warned him.

He closed his eyes. "Do it." I nodded and poured the alcohol over the huge, deep gash. He hissed and bit his other fist to hold back a scream. I winced and used the washcloth to get rid of as much blood as possible.

A role of gauze was thrown on the table and I looked over to see Dale smiling at me. "Thought you might need this." I nodded in than and strung the needle.

I began to stitch up the gash, wincing every time T-Dog hissed in pain. Once I was done, I wrapped up his arm and handed him an antibiotic pill from Merle's stash. He took it without question.

"I'll look at it again tomorrow and re-wrap it for ya." He nodded as he sat back and closed his eyes.

There was some commotion outside, and I grabbed Eren's hand and stepped out of the RV. Rick and Daryl were back. They were talking with Shane and Glenn. There was no sign of Sophia. Carol was bawling and I felt sorry for her.

I walked up to them and grabbed Daryl's arm. After a few words and an agreement, everyone but Dale and T-Dog were going out in groups to find Sophia. I shook my head. "I'll stay here with T-Dog. I'm a doctor, and he needs me if his wound gets worse."

Rick looked over at me and nodded. "That might be best." As everyone got ready, I knelt in front of Eren and cupped his face in my hands. "You stay by Lori or your father, you hear me? Don't wander off and stay in their sights. Okay?" I asked him and he nodded. "Promise?" I held out my pinky.

Eren smiled and gripped my pinky with his. "Stay with dad or Aunt Lori. No wander off." He promised. I kissed his forehead and stood up. I walked him over to Lori and went to find Daryl. He was over by Glenn near the truck of water. I grabbed his arm and pulled him over to our pickup truck. I kissed him softly. "Stay safe, alright?"

He smirked and wrapped an arm around my waist, dragging me closer. "Always am." He kissed me harder this time and pulled away when Rick called out, saying it was time to head out. They wanted to make sure they would have enough daylight to look for Sophia.

Daryl sighed and kissed me on the forehead before walking over to Eren and the rest of the group. I watched as they all walked into the forest, and out of my sight.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11- Carl

It had been two hours since most of the group had gone to search for Sophia. I was on top of the RV with Dale, looking for any signs of trouble or of the group returning. Dale was a kind man. He told me about his wife, and how she had passed away due to cancer. They never had any kids, but he always wanted them. His wife apparently couldn't have any of her own. They kept having miscarriages. Right now, Amy and Andrea were all he had. I told him bits and pieces of my life in return.

"So, she wanted a preppy daughter? One who would dress up, never talk back, and marry a rich man to have children with?" Dale shook his head. I gave him a smirk.

"My mama was a bitch. She wouldn't let me do anything on my own. She tried to dress me, bathe me, feed me, and teach me school. I couldn't go out to parties or get a job." I looked up at the sky, watching as the sun got closer and closer to the tree line. "Course I snuck around her and found ways to escape." I lifted my right arm, the one that was bit and broken.

I brought it close to Dale and he took ahold of it in his gentle grasp. "Sometimes, the knife was my only escape."

He ran his fingers over the faint scars. "One day, when I was 15, I snuck out of the house. I told myself that this was it. I was finally free. I stole money from my ma's purse and got myself my first tattoo." I pointed to the rose that covered the inside of my forearm. The bottom half of the stem and leaves twisting around my arm. "Told myself no more." I chuckled. "It wasn't my last, as you can see. Whenever I had the chance, I stole my mom's money and got a new tattoo. Boy did I piss her off. She even tried to force me to get them removed. Yeah right. Like that was gonna to happen."

Dale released my arm and smiled at me. He was the first person outside of the family that I have opened up to. Sure, I told the girls at the quarry a bit about my momma, but not this much.

"Is that what drew you to Daryl? For adventure and to make your mom mad?" He asked softly.

I nodded. "At first it was. I was only sixteen at the time when I snuck out and went to a bar. I didn't drink, they wouldn't let me, but I did pick a fight with some guys. Nearly got my ass handed to me. Daryl stopped them. His rough exterior drew me to him. Mom would never accept him. So I started to hang out with him. Over the next few months we fell in love, and then I got pregnant."

Dale laughed and lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes as he scanned the highway. "Bet that really got on her nerves."

"Hell yeah it did! Especially when her precious son got pregnant. She called me a freak of nature. The evil wench kicked me out and she was the one who wanted a girl who could have children. Well, she got a boy who could. I went to go live with Daryl. I had Een shortly after my seventeenth birthday and we got married as soon as I was eighteen. I even went to school to become a nurse." I smiled softly as I sat down and leaned back on my arms.

"Do you wish you weren't so young?"

I knew he was only curious. I didn't blame him for wondering. I looked up as he looked down. "Not for a second. I know Daryl doesn't like to show his feeling to people, but he really has come far. For the first few weeks after I met him, he tried to push me away. Said I was too pure, that he would just corrupt me. But he slowly opened up, and he's slowly opening up to this group... Right now, this is our family."

Dale opened his mouth, paused, then shut it again. "Yeah... Family."

I stood back up and made my way over to the ladder at the back of the RV. I took a quick look around. A large red and white vehicle quite a way's down the road caught my attention.

"Hey, Dale? I think I see an ambulance down the road a bit. I'm gonna go check it out. It might still have some supplies in it."

"Alright but be careful. I'll watch out for you from here. If you see anything, holler, I'll come running." He told me. I nodded before making my way down the ladder. "Will do."

I walked carefully to the ambulance. I took out my gun and brought it up as I snuck around the vehicles. I moved to the back of the ambulance. I swung the door open and quickly aimed my gun. It was empty. I let out a sigh and hopped up into it. There were a few first aid kits and a medical bag that first responders use. I shoved the kits into the bag before I collected the IV bags. Perfect. There were empty syringes, lots of gauze and bandages, morphine bottles, and even some medical tape. Yes.

A gun shot went off in the distance. My head shot up and I froze. Was it the others? Did they come across a walker? I listened for more shots but there wasn't any. I quickly zipped up the emergency bag and hopped out of the ambulance. Why would they only shoot once? They wouldn't risk drawing more walkers if it was only one. They would have taken it out silently.

Ten minutes later I was back at the RV. I looked up at Dale. "You heard that too right?"

He nodded his head. T-Dog was sitting in the door of the RV on one of the steps. He let out a grunt as I handed him the medical bag and he placed it behind him by the driver's seat. "Everything within five miles heard that shot." He mumbled out. I nodded my head in agreement.

I looked up at Dale. "Keep an eye out. It will probably draw out a few walkers this way."

* * *

It was sunset by the time the group arrived back. As soon as Daryl came through the tree line, Dale beat me to what I was gonna ask.

"Did you find her?"

Daryl shook his head. I saw as Amy and Andrea lead a saddened Carol into the RV. I couldn't see Eren.

"We split into two groups. Shane, Rick, Carl and Eren went one way, we went the other. Carl apparently got shot by some dumb ass. They took him to a farm. They have a doctor there that can help him. We are supposed to go there once we came back here, but we decided to do it in the morning." Daryl grumbled, not happy at all.

"How did you find out Carl got shot?" Dale asked the same time I said, "I'm leaving now."

Daryl's head shot over to me. "No you ain't. You go when I go."

"But Daryl, Eren is-"

He gripped me by my shoulders and drew me close. "Is fine. A woman on a horse come to find us. She told us Carl was shot, said everyone else was at her family's farm, grabbed Lori, and took off."

I sighed as I hung my head, tears coming to my eyes. "I want to see him and Carl. Make sure they are okay."

Daryl drew me closer and tucked my head under his chin. "Eren's never spent a night without one of us before." I mumbled into his throat.

"I know darlin', but he has Lori and Rick. He'll be fine for one night. We gotta stay in case Sophia comes back."

I pulled away from him and wiped at my face. "No. I want to find Sophia just as bad as you, but I'm gonna take T-Dog and anyone else who is willing. You, Carol and Dale can stay here for the night and watch for Sophia. They might need me to help take care of Carl."

Daryl opened his mouth to argue but I shut him up with a glare. My decision was final. Daryl sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. "Alright. You win."

I smiled sadly and gave him a quick kiss before moving over to the RV, leaving Daryl to talk to Dale.

I stepped inside of the RV, grabbed my new medical bag and swung it over my shoulder. Amy looked up at me as I walked in. "I'm heading to that farm. They're gonna need me to help with Carl. You guys coming?" I asked softly.

Carol looked up at me and sent me a glare. "My baby is out there! You should be helping search for her!"

Glenn's jaw dropped and Andrea shot a look of disbelief at Carol. My own mouth also dropped open in shock.

My face hardened and I glared right back. "You listen here Carol. I understand that Sophia is out there alone and that you are scared, but you can't take your anger out on me. My son is out there also. I have to do what I know best, and that's healing people, and taking care of my family."

I paused. Carol stood up in anger. "All you care about is yourself! My baby could be dead you didn't do anything!"

"T-Dog was hurt, I couldn't leave him when he needed me, and now Carl is out there shot and possibly dying. I'm leaving to help him. I didn't say you had to leave. In fact, you, Daryl and Dale are staying. I'm taking T-Dog to the farm, and I need Amy or Glenn or Andrea to tell me the way. I wasn't there when that girl gave the directions." I was pissed. How dare she? I turned on my heal and stomped out of the RV.

I moved towards Daryl's blue pickup. A hand gripped my arm and pulled me to a standstill. I whirled around and came face to face with Daryl.

"Take it easy on her, will ya? She just lost her only family left."

I glared at him and pulled my arm from his grasp. "That doesn't give her the excuse to talk to me that way!"

He let out a sigh. "No, it doesn't. But think about it from her perspective."

I sighed. He was right. He opened his mouth to say something when a voice spoke before he could.

"Are we ready?" Amy spoke up from behind Daryl. Glenn was right behind her. I met her eyes and nodded. I wrapped my arms around Daryl's neck and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before I got into my Jeep with Amy and Glenn. Andrea was taking Shane's Jeep. We had ditched Carol's car a while back due to lack of gas. It was just the two jeeps, the pickup, the motorcycle and the RV.

* * *

When we pulled up to the farmhouse, I was amazed on how untouched by the dead it was. Almost as if the infection never happened.

When we stepped out of the Jeeps, Shane, Eren, and a few other people that I didn't recognize stepped out on the front porch.

"Papa!" Eren shouted as he left a teenage girl's side and ran down the porch steps towards me.

I knelt down and opened my arms. "Eren!" He plowed into me knocking me over. I stood back up with Eren clinging around my waist. I made my way to the house to greet everyone. Shane actually didn't look pissed to see me for once.

I was introduced to a man named Hershel, his daughters, a boy named Jimmy, a woman named Patricia and a man named Otis, who I learned had shot Carl on accident.

Hershel filled me in on what was wrong with Carl and I could tell that he was glad he had an actual doctor to help him. Someone who knew what they were doing. Apparently, he was a vet, not a doctor. He's never worked on a human before.

Hershel told us that he needed specific tools for surgery. He asked me just to make sure he was right, and I nodded. Otis automatically volunteered to go to a school nearby to get it. He felt it was his responsibility and Shane offered to go with him.

I walked inside and into the room that Carl was in. Lori and Rick were there. Eren automatically moved from my side to Carl's. He gripped onto Carl's hand and sat down my him. I saw Lori smile softly at him and I moved over to Carl's other side to grab the washcloth that was in a bowl of water on the bedside table.

I gently washed the sweat off Carl's exposed body, avoiding the gunshot wound. He was so pale. His eyes opened a crack and I grabbed his hand.

"Carl? Can you hear me?"

He gave a short nod, a faint smile on his lips. "Are-are you, an angel?" He rasped out in a quiet voice.

I gave a soft chuckle before I brought my hand up and moved the hair out of his face. "Course I am buddy. I'm gonna fix you right up." I smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. "Told you I'd never leave you, didn't I?"

His smile widened before his eyes slid to the back of his skull and his body started shaking.

"What's going on!? What's happening to him!?" Lori cried out.

I grabbed onto his body and tried to keep him as still as possible so he wouldn't injure himself any further. Hershel and Rick helped me while I tried to explain.

"He's having a seizure. We can't do anything about it. We just have to wait for it to pass."

Please God, don't take away my best friend.

I could hear Eren crying softly in the corner of the room. I am surprised with how close he and Carl were. He was usually reserved and wasn't very social.

The seizure passed and he stilled, his body falling unconscious once again. I went back to cooling him down and washing away his sweat. I needed to try to keep him cool and sweat free. I didn't want the wound to get irritated or for his condition to get worse.

...

It was a few hours later when Shane came back with the supplies alone.

"Otis, he said to go on and save the boy. Said he would give me the chance to come back and get this to Hershel." He explained. I didn't believe him for a second. His story sounded fishy. If Otis died to buy Shane time to get away, how did he have Otis' gun?

Hershel looked down as Patricia started crying over her lost husband.

He let out a sad sigh but grabbed the supplies and ushered me towards the room Carl was in. "Everyone but Avery and Rick leave the room. Avery, get an IV going. Rick, be prepared to give more blood if we need it."

Without question, I obeyed his orders and set to work. Me, being the doctor that I was, wasn't used to doing surgeries. I've aided them before, but never actually lead a surgery on my own. This was going to be tough.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12- New Hope

I wiped my brow and sighed in relief. After a few hours of surgery, the bullet fragments were all out. While Hershel left to clean up, I stayed behind to clean Carl's wound again.

Rick, Shane, and Lori were all outside deciding what to do next. Rick was dead set on getting Hershel to let us stay for a while.

I used a paper towel doused in alcohol to wipe around the stitching on Carl's abdomen. I placed some clean gauze over it and gently taped it down.

I gazed at the young boy's face and smiled. He was a tough one. He is so young, and yet, something like this has happened to him.

I sigh softly and move over towards the door to go see how everything is going.

"You stay long enough to find the little girl, then you all must leave." Hershel was announcing to Rick as I walked outside. Rick looked over at me and gave a small smile before looking back at the older male. I sat down and began to unwrap my aching shoulder. The bite was healing slowly, and it was still very tender. After today's events, it was irritated.

"I understand." Hershel gave Rick a nod before moving towards me once he saw my shoulder. He helped me clean up my wound and rewrap it. It only stung when I pulled it the wrong way.

I glance up at Rick and smile. "Don't worry, he'll be fine, Rick."

Rick sighed and rubbed his face before walking down the steps and towards one of the vehicles. I followed behind him and sat down next to him when he sat by the front tire of a Jeep.

It was silent between us for a while before he spoke up. "Thank you, Avery. I'll never be able to thank you enough."

I smile and place my hand on his shoulder as I gaze over toward where Lori was helping Glenn set up a few tents.

"You don't need to thank me. I'm just glad Carl is alright. "

He smiled sadly. "If it wasn't for you and Hershel, he wouldn't be."

I smiled softly and patted his shoulder before getting up and walking over towards Glenn and Lori to ask where my son was.

Rick was a man that was perfect for leadership. He kept us together and alive. He does what he can to keep us safe. He even found this far, even though it took Carl getting shot.

Lately, Shane has been on my radar. He had to have been lying about Otis' death. There was no way he could have gotten his gun if Otis was using it to give Shane time to run. It just didn't add up.

When I reached Glenn, I noticed T-Dog not too far away and rushed over to him. I knelt next to him and quickly looked his arm over.

"I am so sorry. I forgot all about your arm. Come. Let's go get this cleaned again." I smiled as I lead him towards Hershel's house where my bag had been placed on the porch.

T-Dog grinned at me and waved his good arm around. "It's no problem. You were fixing Carl. I understand."

My heart pinched at his words. "I couldn't leave him like that. What if that happened to Eren? Or someone else in the group?"

He nodded his head and sat down slowly on the porch stairs, and I quickly followed, dragging my bag over.

"A gun shot is a lot more life threatening than an already stitched and cleaned wound, Avery. Carl was top priority."

I disinfected his wound with the whisky from before and looked up at the sky. "I'd say it's been about four to six hours. Want some more of those pills?" I asked as I wrapped his forearm back up with fresh gauze.

T-Dog scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "Yes please."

I chuckle and grabbed an antibiotic and a pain killer and handed them over so he could swallow them. "Come see me in the morning so I can check on it again. Watch for any swelling or redness. Puss is also a bad sign."

T-Dog gave me a half-hearted salute. "Aye-aye doctor!"

After finding out which tent Eren was in, I lay down next to him and began to sing him to sleep. It helped to calm us both down.

"Don't worry, baby. Carl will be better in no time and Daddy will be here with the others in the morning." He buried his face deeper into my neck and gave a short nod.

A rustling at the tent flap dragged my eyes from my son to the tent entrance. Amy's face popped in and she gestured around. I nodded and scoot Eren and I over to make room.

Amy and Andrea make their way in and lay down, pulling some sleeping bags and a pillow or two with them. They settle down and we share good nights and I shift my attention back to my baby.

"Have hope. Always have hope, Eren. Without it, we're all as good as dead." I catch Amy's eye and she smiles gently before shifting and going to sleep.

I sigh softly and close my eyes, holding Eren tightly in my arms.

_Hope and this group are all we have left, Little One_.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Despair

It's been a week since we arrived at the farm and a lot has happened.

Carl was better after a few days of rest and was able to walk around as long as he was careful. He and Eren barely left each other's sides.

Daryl had gone out searching for Sophia alone and came back beaten and battered. He had taken one of Hershel's horses and something spooked it and the horse threw Daryl from its back and down into a deep ravine. One of his bolts got lodged in his side, went through and through. The stupid idiot pulled it out. He could have caused more damage, but it did save his life from being eaten by a walker.

Carol had come onto my husband. She tried to be secretive about it, but both Daryl and I could see her intentions. I had to have a long conversation with her explaining why my husband gave her that flower. It wasn't because he liked her romantically, he gave it to her to ease her mind off Sophia. Carol has been on my nerves lately, especially when we found out Sophia was in the Greens barn.

She had been turned into a walker and it hit both Carol and Daryl hard. Carol blamed me for not doing anything. Daryl had distanced himself from the group... From me... From our son. I knew he was upset. He would be back soon enough, he just needed time.

My wound was healing nicely. It was still pretty tender, but the scabs stopped tearing and bleeding. I didn't need to have it wrapped up anymore. Now, whenever I wore a tank top, you could plainly see the nasty looking bite from under the tanks strap.

Right now, I am currently taking the stitches out of both T-Dogs arm and Carl's gunshot wound, both healing up very nicely as well.

"There. Now all that's left is keeping it clean until it's fully healed. Both of you." I smiled.

T-Dog smiled at me and walked back towards his tent to lay down. Carl looked up at me and smiled. I turned over to Lori who smiled shamefully at me as I gazed over the cut on her forehead.

"I'm sorry. No one would go to town to check up on them, so I went myself." Lori looked down at her hands.

I looked around before whispering. "Are you crazy though? What about your baby? You could have hurt it." She smiled sadly and held onto her stomach. She had told me yesterday that she was pregnant and had asked for my help.

"Do you think Rick will be happy?" She questioned.

I shake my head. "I have no idea. If this world wasn't like this, I bet he would be, but I honestly don't know. But I'm here. I'll make sure you both survive, Lori, so tell him."

She hugged me. "Thank you."

I pulled back and took out a disinfectant wipe from my bag. "Now let's clean you up."

* * *

"Let me get this straight. You saved this boy, Randal, and want me to perform surgery on his leg, only to kill him after?" I question.

Rick nods. "It isn't decided if he will die yet."

I frown. "Rick, his people tried to find out where we were, then tried to kill you. Do you really believe that the people in our group, besides probably me, Dale and the kids, want him alive?"

Shane grunts. "She has a point, Rick. For once, we actually agree."

"For the last time, I'm a guy, Shane!" I growl angrily.

"Knock it off, both of you." Rick orders as he rubs his face tiredly. "We will vote on it as a group."

"Well vote soon. I'm not doing the surgery until he is, for sure, not going to be killed. I will not waste the supplies. I'll wrap it so he doesn't bleed to death, but that's it." I announce softly.

Rick nods. He turned to Shane and sighed. "Get everyone to meet in the house. Hershel and his family too. They are part of this group now."

Shane nodded and rushed off. I sighed and headed towards where I knew Daryl would be.

He was sitting outside our tent on a log, cleaning a few arrows.

"Daryl." His body froze up and quickly relaxed once he turned and saw me. I smiled softly at him and gestured towards Hershel's house. "Group gatherin- oof!"

I stumble as his body collides with mine and holds me tightly. " 'm sorry." He mumbles into my hair.

I smile and bring my arms up around him. "I know. You were upset and needed space. I understand."

He pulled back and placed a hand on the side of my face, cupping my cheek lightly. "Still no excuse to ignore you. Is Eren upset?"

I shake my head and kiss his rough palm. "To be honest, he's been so busy with Carl he hasn't really noticed anything." Daryl nodded slowly and sighed in relief.

"Good." He dropped his hand to my waist and pulled me close to his side as he started walking towards the house.

"You know, I think when Carl and Eren are old enough, I believe they will be together like we are. Wouldn't that be adorable?" I chuckle.

Daryl grumbled to himself for a second. "Ain't no one touching meh son like I touch you, 'specially that sheriff's boy." He spoke confidently, voice thick and gruff.

I roll my eyes and grin mischievously. "Oh, we'll see."

* * *

I stare out after Dale as he walked towards the front door. "Well I'm not going to just sit here and watch while you kill an innocent boy. I'll be outside."

I move to go after him, and Rick stops me. "Just... Let him be alone for a while. Let him cool off."

I agree sadly and walk to stand on the deck. I watch Dale walk off into a pasture and watch as he sits on a log for a while. About an hour later I notice someone stumbling towards him.

I scream and rush forward as the body tackled Dale to the ground. I hear people coming out of the house behind me and I'm already yards ahead. Dales screams reach my ears and I kick the body off him once I'm close enough. I stomp on the walker's head repeatedly until Daryl pulled me away.

I rush to Dales side and my eyes survey the damage. My hands hover over his stomach. It was torn into, intestines exposed. "Oh god, Dale. Ther-there's no way I can..." He smiles at me painfully and takes one of my hands shakily. He understands what this meant for him. He nods towards Rick and I close my eyes.

Rick looks at his gun in distaste before nodding, agreeing to do what no one could.

I can hear Andrea and Amy's sobs in the background but it's all faint as I open my eyes and watch my husband take the gun from Rick.

"I'll do it." He grips it tightly and points it at Dales head. Dale smiles once and I look away. I grip Dales hand tightly.

"Sorry, brother." And the gun went off, echoing out into the night air, hand going limp in my own.

* * *

Things were in chaos after Dales death. We decided that Randal, who we found out was part of a group that would take women and children from other groups, rape them, then kill them in front of the ones that care about them before killing them too, was to be dropped off miles away for a chance to survive. But Rick and Shane had brought him back, and they were both in rough shape. They must have gotten into a fight. Now Randal was locked back up and chained in the barn.

I was just coming out of the bathroom when Shane stumbled into the hall. I was alone at the moment and Shane looked frantic and his nose was busted and slowly bleeding. I didn't like the guy, but he looked like he needed help.

"Shane? What's wrong?" What did I miss? His eyes locked with mine and I swear I saw him smirk for a second before it was gone.

"It's Randal! He broke loose! We have to go find him! Follow me."

I frown. This sounded odd. "Shouldn't we tell Rick?"

He nodded. "I already did. He, Daryl, and Glenn are ready to go search and he told me to get you."

I followed him out and stood next to Daryl as Rick handed me a knife and a handgun. "Shane, Avery, and I will search this way while Daryl and Glenn head that way. He is a threat while he is loose. He could bring his group back here."

We nodded, I kissed Daryl, and we set out, leaving the rest of the group in the house for safety.

It was nearly dark now and we had been walking for hours. I walked behind Shane and Rick, keeping my distance as I listened to them speak.

We came to a meadow and they began to slow down.

"So, this is where you planned to do it..." Rick spoke, nodding to himself as we came to a stop. What?

"It's as good a place as any." Shane smiles.

Rick turned to fully face him and growled "You just don't have the balls to call it as it is. Murder." What!?

They both start to walk, circling one another, me staying off to the side, eyeing Shane and keeping a firm hold of my knife and gun.

"Do you really think you can walk back onto that farm? Without me, Avery, or Randal?"

"Now you shut up!" Shane snarled.

But Rick kept going, edging him on. "And buy whatever bull shit story you cook up?"

Shane frowned. "No. You see, it ain't no story. I saw that prisoner gun you down, take your knife, brutally stab that thing," he gestured towards me, "and I charged him, snapped his neck." He shook his head. "It ain't going to be easy, but Lori and Carl, they'll get over you. And no one will miss the he-she." Wrong. So very wrong. I glare daggers and glance at Rick to see his reaction. His face is set, sad and accepting of his best friend's betrayal.

Shane raises his gun and points it towards Rick.

"Why?" Rick asks, not doing anything to protect himself, even with a gun pointed at him. He didn't have his knife out, or his gun up and ready. "Why now? I thought we worked this all out?"

No answer.

"To screw my wife and take my family? Is that what you want?!" Rick snarls out, desperate to understand. I was shocked. Shane was a lot more unstable than I thought.

"I know you Shane, you won't be able to live with this."

"You don't know what I can live with, what I live with. You don't think I can?" He puts his gun back into his pants and spreads his arms out wide. "Come on Rick! Raise your gun and take a shot! Do it!"

Rick stops and shakes his head, stopping and taking a step back. "No. No, I won't."

Shane stops as well. "Come on Rick, you're not even going to fight for them? I'm a better father than you! Come on!" Silence. Shane lowers his arms and grins. "I'm a better man than you."

Rick shuffles sideways and they circle again.

"You got a vulnerable wife and a weak boy. You can't take care of them." Shane grabs raises his gun again. "Pick up you gun."

Rick defiantly stands his ground. "You're going to have to kill an unarmed man."

My eyes widened. Is he crazy?

"Rick!" I hiss, raising my gun, hands shaking. What do I do?

Rick slowly raises his arms up, never taking his eyes off Shane. "Watch my hand." He slowly reaches for his gun, unclips it from its holster and flips it around, holding it out towards Shane, handle first.

"Rick!" My eyes widen. What do I do!?

They slowly start moving towards each other, Shane's gun at the ready.

"Now listen Shane, there is still a way back from this." No there isn't! "Nothing happened here. We can lay down our guns and walk back to the farm... Together... Back to Lori... and back to Carl." Shane licks his bloody lips. "We can put this all behind us."

Within feet of each other, Shane takes one hand from his gun and grips onto the one in Ricks outstretched hand. That's when Rick strikes. It happens so fast. The next second Rick drew his knife from his hip and the blade is embedded deep into Shane's chest, and Shane's gun goes off, grazing my cheek.

They are both dragged to the ground and I stand in shock, arms dropping down at my sides.

"Damn you for making me do this, Shane! Damn you!" Rick cried angrily and Shane choked on blood, trying to get air into his lungs, staring up at Rick in shock.

"You did this to us, not me! You!" Ricks angry grip turns soft as he gently touches Shane's face, as if trying to sooth him from his pain in his final seconds. He really does care about Shane, but he was a threat to us all.

I move forward and place a hand on Ricks shoulder as Shane's body stills. "Rick. Come on, Rick. He's gone. We have to head back, they'll be worried. We will tell them everything. They'll understand. Shane's been... Off lately." I pull Rick back and help him to his feet.

Covered in Shane's blood and crying over the loss of his best friend, he stands to his feet and turned away from me only to freeze.

"Carl..."

I spin around quickly to see Carl walking towards us with his dads Sheriff hat on top of his head, a gun in hand. Tears are running down his face and as we approach , he raises it.

Rick raises his hands. "Wait, Carl. It isn't what it looks like."

I move closer cautiously and turn my head back as I hear a groan. Shane. My eyes widen. How did he turn!? He wasn't bit?! Carl's gun goes off and Shane's corpse drops to the ground, gunshot to the head.

Rick and I stare at the body in shock before Carl is in his father's arms hugging him and crying.

I sigh and look off towards the horizon. My eyes widen. There, about a hundred to two hundred yards away, were hundreds of walkers, heading towards us, towards the farm.

"Rick!"


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Exposure

"Rick!" I point off into the distance in a rush. "We have to go! We need to get back and warn the group!"

Rick nods and pushed Carl towards me. "Take Carl with you! I don't think we will make it in time to warn and get out."

Carl grips onto my arm and glances worriedly at his father.

I gently run a hand through his hair. "What about you?"

When a faint smile crosses Rick's face, I frown.

"I'm gonna send a warning, set a fire. That'll get the groups attention and hopefully notice the hoard. Hell, maybe I'll get a few walkers too."

I nod and start pushing Carl back towards the farm. "Be careful, Rick."

And with that, I pick Carl up and start running... He's heavier than I thought he would be.

It didn't take long to get back to the farm, which meant it wouldn't be long before the walkers were upon them.

I spot Lori out on the porch with Herschel. She looks as if she has been panicking. "Carl!" She shouts when she spots us. I place Carl down as I reach the steps and frown.

"Lori! Get everybody inside and gather all our shit fast. We need to be ready to leave!" I shout as I rush past her, grabbing everything I saw of importance and began to pack.

"What? Why?" She asked, following my movements with worried eyes.

I sigh and glance around at all the frightened and worried people. "Walkers. A whole herd of them, hundreds heading this way." I say, watching as everyone kicks into action.

Supplies, bags and people are quickly gathered and thrown into vehicles. I spot Daryl off in the distance, on his bike and ushering people along and making sure we haven't forgot anything.

Eren is glued to my side as everyone rushes around. A scream reached my ears and I let out a horrified yelp as a walker drags Patricia to the ground, Maggie, and Herschel screaming her name. After that, all hell broke loose as the horde surrounded us.

* * *

I gasp as I break through the trees and fall to my knees on the pavement. Sobbing could be heard next to me and I rub my sons back gently, trying to sooth him and regain my breath. We had gotten separated from the others.

We were running through the woods with Amy and Andrea, but I lost sight of them not too long after entering the dense trees. I hoped they were all right.

"Shhh, baby boy." I whisper as I help Eren to his feet and took a quick glance around. We were on the highway. I spot a sign and smile in relief. We were not too far from where we lost Sophia.

Rick came up with the smart idea to meet there on the highway if something ever happened where we were forced to split up.

I cup Eren's face and kiss his red nose, his eyes still watering. "Let's go find Daddy."

I grip his hand in mine and lead him along just a bit in front of me, never taking my eyes off him for too long.

The sound of a gun cocking makes me freeze. I slowly glance over my shoulder and my eyes widen. A survivor, and he wasn't part of our group.

"Give me your bag and weapons!" He angrily demands.

I slowly turn around, keeping Eren out of his sight. The man pauses as he sees my face completely.

"A girl huh? Been a long time since I've seen a girl alive and kicking." He smirks, showing off nasty, yellow teeth.

"Sorry to burst your sick bubble, but I ain't no girl, buddy." I snarl, I slowly release my hold on Eren's shirt, slowly moving it to my back pocket where my pocketknife was. My movements hidden and still unnoticed by the man.

He frowns briefly before his smirk was back. "Well, you're pretty enough, you'll still do." He moves forward, gun pointed at my head.

I grip the handle of the knife, drawing it out and whipping it in the man's direction. Just as my knife meets the man's shoulder, blood spews from his head as an arrow embeds itself into his eye.

My body sags in relief as his body crumpled to the hard asphalt. l instantly know who wasn't too far away from us, probably hidden in the trees.

I fall to my knees, exhaustion finally taking over. Today had been a rough day. Eren falls with me, crying softly into my shoulder blade. Dirty boots enter my vision before knees take their place and I'm encased in an embrace.

I inhale my husband's scent as my eyes close. I feel my body go limp as our son crawled in between our bodies. There, in that moment, I let the exhaustion take me into a dreamless sleep, knowing my son and I were in safe hands.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of muffled voices. I was laying inside a tent, Eren curled up into my front. Something warm was pressed against my back. I slowly glanced over my shoulder to see Carl clinging to my back.

I smiled gently and turned onto my back carefully, trying not to wake either of them. I pulled each of them into my sides and held them close. Closing my eyes, I was ready to fall back to sleep.

"You knew all this time and didn't tell us?! That we're all infected?" My eyes snapped open. That sounded like Glenn.

"Jenner told me that it was possible. It's inside all of us. I'm sorry, I didn't know how to tell you." Rick tried to calm everyone down.

"What else did he tell you?" Lori demanded. She sounded pissed.

"Avery." Rick barely got out.

Everyone went deathly silent. I knew what was going on. Every one of them had turned towards Rick as Daryl stormed over to the older man.

"What about 'em?" He growled; accent thicker than ever.

"Avery and Eren might be the only thing that can stop this. They're both immune. The virus isn't in their blood like it is in ours. Avery's blood fought the virus off and left no traces. Jenner told me, that no matter what, they need to survive. Apparently, there's a military base set up on an island off the coast of California." He paused. "He told me that we need to get them there."

My grip on the boys tightened and my eyes widened. Holy shit!


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

**Third Person POV:**

"So, you're saying, that me and my son, are the only hope this world has to get back to normal? Why didn't you tell us!?" Avery shouted angrily. He stepped away from his family and advanced slowly towards Rick.

Rick ran his hand over his face, sighing out loud. He looked around at what was left of their group. They had lost a lot of good people.

"Look, I know keeping this to myself was a bad idea. I should have told you, but I-" A fist collided with Rick's chin, his head veering to the side. He wiped away some blood from his lip and nodded, his eyes meeting Avery's. "Alright, I deserved that, but I only had the wellness of this group in mind. If I told you, we most likely would have fought over what to do. Stay alive or get you to that Island."

Lori stepped forward, placing her hand on Avery's shoulder. "I believe I can speak for every one of us, that we want the world the way it was, or at least better than it is right now. I say we go to the island." She spoke, glaring right at her husband. "How could you betray our trust that way?"

Rick clenched his fists. "Like you betrayed me by sleeping with my best friend!?" He roared. "How do I know that baby is mine!?" He yelled, pointing at his wife's stomach.

"How dare you! Yes, he tried after we thought you were dead, but I pushed him away, said no. This baby was made the night you got back. Don't turn this around on me. We will speak about this later. Right now, we need to get this cure, and if that island is our best bet, I say we go." She hissed. "Let's vote."

Rick glanced around at the people he called his family. "This island might not even exist! How can we go out, risk everything, to find something that might not be there?"

Lori opened her mouth to speak but T-Dog cut her off. "How can we not? No matter what, we are risking our lives. The world isn't the same anymore, and if there's a chance to fix it, why not try?"

Hershel gently eased the man back down. "Easy, you're still recovering from that last cut." He turned towards Rick, "My daughters and I, we agree. The island is our best option at saving this world." He glanced over at his two girls, they nodded in agreement as they clung to one another.

Rick glanced one more time at Avery and the man nodded to his leader, agreeing as well. "Fine. Those who are for the Island, raise your hand."

Glenn stepped forward. "We don't need to vote, we're all in, right guys?"

Rick glanced around to see the group nodding. Lori, Daryl, Avery, T-Dog, Glenn, Maggie, Beth, Hershel, Carl and Eren, who didn't even understand what they were nodding to.

"Then we head west. We have quite a few states we need to cross, and I know we won't get there before winter hits. We need gear. We hit any small towns we come across and avoids larger ones and cities. Alright?"

The group gathered closer to the fire, the tension slowly easing. "Who have we lost?" Rick asked.

Glancing around the group he sighs. "Carol, Andrea, Amy, Patricia, Jimmy... Shane... Too many. Alright, get some sleep. At first light we head to the nearest town west of here. Glenn, let's go set route, still have that map?"

Avery sighed softly as he settled down near the fire, Eren curled up at his side with Carl right next to the small boy. Daryl sat down, throwing an arm around his smaller husband.

"You really want to do this, Avery? This Island might not even exist."

Avery turned his face up, kissing just below Daryl's chin. "We have no choice. If the cure is in my blood like Jennings said, we need to get to that island so they can make it." He whispered, lips brushing against his husband's throat.

"Alright, but no one's touching you or Eren when we get there. At least, not without me or one of the others in the room with you." Daryl muffled out.

Avery smiled and closed his eyes. "Deal." He didn't want anyone doing some weird ass experiments on his son.

The young man glanced around the camp at those that were left. The group had waited as long as they could before the fear of the heard finding them forced the group to head a few miles up the highway and into a small clearing, that was luckily out of site from the road. No one should be able to see them, walker or human. The fire was low and barely let out any light through the thickness of the trees that surrounded the small clearing.

Avery had gone through everything that they had not too long ago. They had most of the supplies that they had before, thankfully. They kept a lot of it in the RV in case they needed to bolt. They had the RV, Merle's truck and bike, Avery's Jeep, and the truck that was filled with water, Glenn found on the highway.

Water supplies were better than ever, since they had forgotten about the truck with all that had gone on with Sophia missing and then Randal. We six, four person tents, twelve sleeping bags, 6 pillows, five blankets, and plenty of medical supplies left.

"We'll have to fine more food and clothing as soon as we can. With winter approaching, we need to be prepared like Rick said." Avery's voice carried out to those around him.

Hershel spoke next. "Then we make that top priority. There's room on the other side of the water truck to store canned food and any clothing we can find. Half of the water on that side of the truck were empty. The compartments under the RV can hold plenty still as well."

"The water truck should hold mostly food and water, while the free space in the RV can hold the clothing and other supplies." Lori piped up.

Rick glanced up from the map he and Glenn were studying. "There's a town six miles to the west of here. Tomorrow, we will hit it and search every building. We will face any walker we see. We can't afford to miss a single building or even a cupboard."

With those words, everyone settled down near the fire. No one wanting to set up any tents (except the one they had put an unconscious Avery), in case they needed to leave fast, but also in fear of the events from just hours before.

Avery settled back into his husband's chest, holding his son close and closing his eyes as Daryl's arm tightened around him and held them as they drifted off to sleep.


End file.
